Idea 1 - 'Knowledge' is connecting together the correct nodes -
First off I'm going to give a stripped down version of knowledge. I feel that this is the simplest way to start and hopefully my idea has enough information to still be relevant:
Idea 1 - 'Knowledge' is connecting together the correct nodes -
Supporting 'ideas' -
The same nodes in all people as misconceptions seem to be common throughout all schools.
This can also explain why knowing what the student already knows leads to greater gains in knowledge as you are focusing on the correct link between nodes.
Idea 2 - 'IQ' is the rate at which myelin is secreted in the brain -
IQ is a good (but not a great) predictor of how well a student will do at school, the second best predictor is conscientiousness. If conscientiousness was the best predictor than all humans would have been created equally and your achievement would be in line with your work ethic, however this is clearly not true. So if knowledge is the connecting together of the correct nodes, there must be a reason that some people learn more quickly than others. We already know of the importance of myelin in 'talent' however what if IQ is the rate in which myelin is secreted in the brain, while conscientiousness accounts for how quickly your brain coats the sections between the nodes in myelin.
Idea 2 - 'IQ' is the rate at which myelin is secreted in the brain -
Supporting 'ideas' -
Some students learn more quickly than others when all students put the same level of effort in, almost always determined by IQ (go and check your classes).
The fact that although Einstein's brain didn't have any extra grey matter it had a significant amount more white matter than the average human. (However I am not sure of any more weighing of human brains)
Idea 3 - The rate of decay of knowledge for all students is the same -
Although the rate of gaining knowledge is clearly different, due to the rate of secretion of myelin, the rate of decay should be the same. The reason that higher IQ students seem to have a slower rate of decay is that their myelin sheath is more likely to have been to the maximum thickness whereas a lower IQ student would have a thinner myelin sheath. Given that the size of myelin sheath are the same, the rate of decay would also be the same.
Idea 4 - The myelin is in plentiful supply for all students to achieve extremely well at school (In terms of almost all students capable of an A* in mathematics)
Looking at the study of Chinese students at British schools, the poorest Chinese students outperform the richest British students. This shows that with conscientiousness there is clearly enough myelin to do great things.
End of Idea
Right, please break it down, bust it up, but don't say 'you are a moron' please be helpful, explain why I am a moron!
Anyways, thanks! PS My MS paint skills are shocking, I know.
Idea 1: I can see why you’ve represented knowledge in terms of nodes along a line, but representing it in the form of a network rather than linearly would better reflect the way concepts are linked (in an abstract sense), and the way knowledge is represented in the form of biological connections (synapses) between neurons in the brain. Knowledge is represented in the connections between neurons, in a way similar to the way pixels on a computer monitor represent different images.
ReplyDeleteThe connections are also weighted; the more often connections are activated, the stronger the connections become. This can pose a challenge for teachers because talking about a particular concept can activate students’ memories of linked concepts that are nothing to do with what the teacher wants them to be thinking about - the colour of the curtains in the room where they last learned about fractions, who they were sitting next to etc.
Idea 2: IQ is an artificial construct for which no one has yet found a biological basis, though it does look as if speed of processing might be involved in some people performing better on IQ tests. Myelin increases the rate at which electrical impulses travel along axons, so yes, people who produce myelin faster than others might have higher IQs, but myelin isn’t the only factor involved. Numerous neurotransmitters are in play as well.
As far as we know, myelination takes place in neurons that are used very frequently, which would explain why motor neurons and long-distance neurons connecting different areas of the brain become myelinated first. So if by ‘conscientiousness’ you mean diligence or repeated study, it is possible that conscientiousness might increase the rate of myelination.
The jury is still out on whether the rate of myelination is genetically determined, or whether it’s determined by the amount a neuron is used. Both factors are probably involved.
It might be worth differentiating between the two ways you’ve used the word ‘node’ in your post; one in the graph theory sense and the other in the sense of the parts of the axon that aren’t myelinated.
Idea 3: Synapses function on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis. The more the connections are used the stronger they become. So knowledge ‘decays’ primarily because connections aren’t used very often. Myelin does gradually decay from middle age onwards, but it's unlikely to be a factor in school students unless a student had a neurological problem.
Idea 4: Myelin might or might not have anything to do with Chinese students' performance. Conscientiousness does tend to increase knowledge and reduce its decay rate. But we knew that anyway, long before myelin was discovered.
Hope that helps. I can send links to relevant references if you're interested.