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How Lime Feather Learning’s GED Courses Promote Positive Emotions to Maximise Learning

How Learning Set Free's GED course promotes positive emotions

Neuroscience shows that positive emotions are essential for learning

Positive thoughts are essential for learning and this is supported by neuroscience.

 “If people are anxious, uncomfortable, or fearful, they do not learn.” 1

Studies using brain imaging have shown that when teachers use methods that lessen stress and create a positive emotional environment, students develop emotional resilience. They learn more efficiently and achieve higher levels of cognition.2

Likewise, when adults learn, emotions can either hamper or promote learning.3

Research using neuroimaging studies and measurement of brain chemical transmitters showed that the way information is processed and stored in the brain, is affected by the students’ comfort levels.4

Negative emotions can hinder learning. When a student is experienceing boredeom, stress, anxiety, confusion or feels unmotivated or any combination of these, then information the brain should be receiving is blocked from entering the brain’s areas of higher cognitive memory consolidation and storage.5

Although the opposite is also true. “When students are committed, inspired and feel minimal stress, information flows effortlessly through the affective filter in the amygdala and they accomplish higher levels of cognition, make connections, and experience ‘light bulb” moments.” 6

Learning is optimal when it is enjoyable and relevant to learners’ lives, interests and experiences.

Dr Judy Willis

Neurologist, Dr Judy Willis reported that multiple studies confirmed that learning is best when it’s enjoyable and applicable to students’ lives, interests and experiences.  Students tend to recall and retain what they learn when they experience a positive emotion.7

The brain releases dopamine when experiences are pleasurable.The release of this hormone, has the effect of stimulating the memory centres and promotes the release of acetylcholine, which increases focused attention.8

Dopamine enables students to enjoy rewards and to move forward one step at a time. it keeps the individual  ‘addicted’ to the pleasing activities. When the circumstances involve learning, this chemical helps make the students more interested and engaged!

South African neuroscientist, Dr Andre Vermeulen coined the term Neuro-agility.

Neuro–agility is the power to think and learn to process information with efficiency, speed and flexibility.9 It is an essential requirement for the brain to function at maximum efficiency without any distractions.

Students who are neuro-agile have the advantage of learning new skills, attitudes and behaviours fast. So what improves neuro-agility?

According to Dr Vermeulen, “the ease and speed of learning, thinking and processing information is primarily influenced by the electrochemical functioning of the brain.

To ensure we produce the right fuel for us to be neuro-agile, we need to produce continuous positive thoughts, growth mind-sets and constructive emotions. 

Continuous good feelings produce good fuel for the brain and body. 

When these neurotransmitters become the dominating fuel that run our brain and body, the ideal neurophysiological environment is created to optimize the ease and speed of electrochemical transmission for thinking, learning, innovation, problem solving, decision making and creativity.” 10

In simpler terms, this means that we need to feel the ‘happy hormones’, made by positive emotions for learning to be the most efficient.

We need the ‘happy hormones’ for learning to happen at its best.

Classrooms are not always happy places.

A lot of students don’t usually feel emotionally ‘safe’ in a regular classroom or experience productive emotions. This is especially true for students who struggle academically, or even for some of the smarter students.

Many students suffer from fear, anxiety and depression or  just from the pressure put onto them by the teachers with high expectations. This can cause low self-esteem and negative experiences. Some students feel confused, some may feel incapable because of bullying experiences, others distracted by noise and the activities of other students. All these emotions can hinder learning and result in a negative cycle that perpetuates.

School for my eldest was a struggle. If it had not been for this programme and system, I don’t believe he would have done so well in his final exams. Best thing I ever did for my son.

Kim Lawson

Lime Feather Learning’s online GED® study programmes promote positive emotions

Students can leave the environment, that, for them, is “toxic” to their brain and learning processes. They can learn in an emotionally safe, positive environment. The online GED Beginners and the GED® Prep programme makes these options possible in these ways:

  1. Students are allowed to work in the comfort of an environment of their choice – at home or at a small tutor centre
  2. Outside of a regular classroom, there is little to no peer pressure so stress and anxiety is reduced.
  3. There is no bullying, labelling, verbal and emotional abuse is reduced when using the online GED® study programmes. They offer a healthy learning situation.
  4. Students have the freedom to progress at their own pace, so stress from keeping up with everyone else is reduced.
  5. When students discover that they have the ability to learn, when they are given the time and freedom to start, they start to heal emotionally and their parent report they have grown out of their ‘shell’. Read our customer reviews which can confirm this ‘blossoming’ effect!
  6. Most students recover from depression when removed from the school system and are allowed to pursue self-directed learning in the safety and comfort of their home or small private learning centre.
  7. Students are allowed to repeat lessons, quizzes and tests to ensure that they complete each lesson before moving on. The more they succeed in the experience, the more they learn, instead of a negative learning cycle, a positive cycle is started.
  8. Students get instant feedback on their progress. This makes a positive learning experience. Mistakes are not bad, they help the student grow.
  9. Students have the freedom of booking their own test dates once they feel ready. This reduces the levels of anxiety students usually feel before exam dates roll around.
  10. The GED® doesn’t test the brain’s memory skills like the traditional school system. Instead it helps students develop critical thinking skills. Students tend to find this style of education more interesting and engaging than the regular way of learning. This causes the students to become more motivated. 

All in all, most students enjoy learning online for a variety of reasons. A big factor is that the processes of how the information is filtered into, consolidated and stored in the brain are increased. When a student is in a comfortable place, neuro-agility is increased and, in this way, learning is most efficient.

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References

  1. Perry, B. D. (2006). Fear and learning: Trauma related factors in adult learning. New 113 Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 110, 21-27
  2. Willis, J. The Neuroscience of Joyful Learning, Engaging the Whole Child (online only) Summer 2007 | Volume 64
  3. Dirkx, J. (2001). The power of feelings: Emotion, imagination, and the construction of meaning in adult learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 89, 63-72.
  4. Christianson, S.A. (1992). Emotional stress and eyewitness memory: A critical review. Psychological Bulletin, 112(2), 284–309
  5. Thanos, P. K., Katana, J. M., Ashby, C. R., Michaelides, M., Gardner, E. L., Heidbreder, C. A., et al. (1999). The selective dopamine D3 receptor antagonist SB-277011-A attenuates ethanol consumption in ethanol preferring (P) and non-preferring (NP) rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior, 81(1), 190–197.
  6. Kohn, A. (2004). Feel-bad education. Education Week, 24(3), 44–45
  7. Willis, J. The Neuroscience of Joyful Learning, Engaging the Whole Child (online only) Summer 2007 | Volume 64
  8. Ibid
  9. Dr Andre Vermeulen, Neuro-Link,https://neurolink.company/cms/neuro-link-blog/infographic-neuro-agility/
  10. Dr Andre Vermeulen, A Neuroscience Perspective On Processing Information, Learning & Thinking With Ease & Speed, 29 March 2019https://neurolink.company/cms/neuro-link-blog/a-neuroscience-perspective-on-processing-information-learning-thinking-with-ease-speed/#