New research, conducted by examining 46 college students, has shownthat their recall on newly-learned facts was substantially worse when they knew that the facts could be researched and found readily online.  Turns out that if you know that a fact is easy to find on the Internet, you are less likely to learn it.

Known as Transactive Memory, this technique is often seen in groups of people who are working on projects together.  Why would everyone in the group need to know everything about the entire project when they can just go to the keeper of a particular bit of knowledge.

The study also showed that people who relied heavily on transactive memory were more likely to be fooled when their memories of specific events were changed.  It turns out that their memory processes might be more readily manipulated.

It’s not all bad, though.  The members of the study’s memory ability only fell about 9% when they thought data was stored online and could be easily retrieved.

It looks like Google and its descendants will be with us for many years to come as we rely on them to be our memory depository.  Let’s hope that they don’t decide to change their corporate slogan from “Don’t be Evil“!

Related articles

• Memory – Not as Good as We Think (brainblogger.com)
• 7 Simple Ways to Improve Your Memory Without Any Training (spring.org.uk)
• Is the Internet Bad for Our Brains? The Answer Is Subtle and Complex, But Quite Reassuring (scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org)
• How The Internet Has Changed Education (socyberty.com)

Here is a unique summer program for you kids, which will propel the inventive thinking in them. Michael Oister has had this mission for the last 17 years.

They offer an innovative summer camp, which offers various programs like Club Invention, Camp Invention, etc. Club Invention is an exciting out-of-school-time program where children learn through hands-on fun. Children in grades one through six are immersed in activity-oriented adventures that enhance their understanding of science, mathematics, history, and the arts – it’s learning disguised as FUN!

The camp focuses on reverse engineering, math skills and engineering solutions. The aim of this camp is to create a new problem solving skills; instill critical thinking and prepare them with technical skills so that they can cope with future changes. Creating role models in kids is a big challenge in today’s world and this program will create new mindsets and paradigm shifts in them.

Through this open, immersive environment, children can inspire themselves and others to drive a lifetime of positive change through their future professional work as great leaders and thinkers of the nation and world.

The weeklong program promotes creativity, imagination and leadership through activities and games that disguise learning as fun.

They have various clubs for different age groups. It starts from a day’s program to a week long program. The 5-day program conducts by local teachers at local schools. The programs are structured to allow an inventive spirit and promote a hands-on immersive learning environment for children entering first through sixth grade.

By working through curriculum challenges and activities in groups and individually, children gain self-confidence, begin to understand the dynamics of teamwork and discover that what may be the wrong answer to the challenge at hand could be the right answer for another activity.

Children are able to be hands-on without the pressure of memorization or time constraints, so they can explore and try new options, even if the solutions are all in their heads.

The program has been supported by the parent company, The National Inventors Hall of Fame and a yearly supporter in the United States Patent and Trademark Office that allow us provide our curriculum and our take on learning as an enriching and rewarding experience to children in communities across the nation, specifically in the New England and Boston-areas.

The curriculum focuses on math, science, and engineering principles, bringing them down to levels that children can understand and use to bring new perspectives to all areas of their life.

Many times, children and their parents will tell how much more they are excited and active at house and at school in these fields and how they plan to turn that excitement into future areas of interest or fields of study.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame, the parent company, has some of the best and brightest minds as its yearly class of inductees. With over 800 inductees’ work as inspiration, they strive to challenge children to do more than ever before not only in our program, but in the world around them.

The curriculum is all aligned with national and state standards and has strong roots in math, science, technology and engineering. The inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame have served as inspiration to make sure they enrich children’s lives each day.

The new dates of this camp is July and August. You can visit the site for more details.

Michael J. Oister

Michael J Oister – A biography:

Michael J. Oister is president and chief operating officer of Invent Now Kids Inc., a subsidiary of the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation based in Akron, Ohio. Oister is a founder and former president of Classic Sport Cos. of Denver.

About Invent.org:

The Camp Invention program is a hands-on, inquiry based learning opportunity, the Camp Invention program promotes science, math and technology principles on levels which our attendees can understand. Children entering first through sixth grade can attend this nationally-acclaimed program and leave discovering that an inventive spirit (our parent company is the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation), creativity and “no wrong answers” are a reality and can actually be a lot of fun. The program is a great supplement and enrichment to the traditional education structure of our public school system.

The Camp Invention program is a week-long program hosted in local communities and schools throughout the country. This summer, there will be more than 1,000 sites with 65,000 participants, with many programs running in the Boston-area.

4H is now a growing community of more than 6.5 million young people across America who learns leadership, citizenship and life skills to uplift the country. National 4-H Council is the national, private sector, non-profit partner of the 4-H Youth Development Program and its parent, the Cooperative Extension System of the United States Department of Agriculture.

4-H prepare America’s youth by encouraging exploration, discovery and ignite passion for science, engineering, and technology through accessible, hands-on out-of-school programming. 4-H does these things by mapping DNAs, solving problem and instigate possibility thinking in kids. It uses science to solve community problems and giving an opportunity to work in cutting-edge technologies. 4-H takes youths to labs, research organization and involve them in some real projects so they become interested and create project on their own.

To develop these youths, 4-H partners with several science or engineering-based corporations and universities to develop camps. Through this 4-H foster an early interest in the sciences with the hope that youth will be interested in and pursue technical careers in the future. The corporations commit to the work of 4-H as part of ensuring a pipeline of qualified workers for the future.

4-H offers 400 residential camps that foster interest in the sciences. 4-H’s educational programs in science, engineering, and technology have an unparalleled reach of more than 5 million youth in all 50 states. It has a longstanding history as a leader in youth education and has partnerships with 106 Land Grant Universities and the university-based curriculum.

According to Rising Above Gathering Storm, 2006, only 5% of college graduates in America are leaving college with degrees in science, engineering or technology compared to 66% in Japan, 59% in China and 36% in Germany.

4-H is playing a vital role in positive youth development by aligning the interests and talents of today’s youth with current technologies, resources, and communal offerings and by showing that scientific studies can be part of the social and academic norm.

A recent study (Tufts University Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development) shows that participants in 4-H are more likely to obtain higher school grades, enroll in college, and contribute to society. When compared to children who participate in non 4-H related out-of-school activities (sports, Scouting, etc), 6th graders currently participating in 4-H clubs and after-school programs are 1.6 times more likely to enroll in college.

Children who had participated in 4-H for at least one year by 8th grade are about 3.5 more likely to contribute to their families, self, and communities. They are also 1.3 times more likely to be on the lowest trajectories for both depressive symptoms and or risk/delinquent behaviors.

4-H stresses on “learning by doing”. It believes that by doing something students learn faster than reading.

Some of the 4-H science and tech camps, where students really learn by doing.

• The ExxonMobil Foundation and The Harris Foundation funded a summer science camp with the 4-H extension program at Oregon State University where 6th and 8th graders learn about Lego robotics, ecology, and Web 2.0 tools. As a result, 80% of campers reported an increased interest in science as a result of attending; 55% planned a career in science.
• Intel has invested nearly half a million dollars in the 4-H Tech Wizards program in Washington County, Oregon. The program charges kids with using state of the art technology, like handheld GPS/GIS devices to complete community projects including street tree inventory and mapping the safest walking routes to local schools. Intel employs 16 thousand people in that area.
• Utah State University and Utah 4-H teamed up to create 4-H Aggie Adventures for Kids, a program offering educational day-camps that explore archeology, solar energy, GPS technology, robotics, chemistry and physics.
• 4-H held an invitational day camp for both individuals and groups at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Participants were immersed in hands-on training for a space shuttle mission and explored the history and future of a manned space flight.

You can also volunteer 4-H by clicking here http://www.fourhcouncil.edu/find4h.aspx

Dr. Cathann Kress
Director of Youth Development National 4-H Headquarters at the US Dept. of Agriculture

Dr. Cathann Kress – A biography

Dr. Cathann Kress Ph.D, Director of Youth Development, National 4-H Headquarters at the US Dept. of Agriculture. She provides national leadership for youth development issues within the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES), in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and provides program leadership for youth development programs administered through the Cooperative Extension System and Land Grant Universities, including 4-H, USDA-Military Partnerships, Rural Youth Opportunity Programs and Children, Youth and Families at-Risk (CYFAR).

Dr. Kress provides national leadership for youth development research, education and program implementation, which includes providing information, resources, and support related to current and relevant youth issues; oversight for training for youth-serving professionals; support for the development of curriculum and materials related to current youth issues and administration of grants programs, including Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR).

These programs reach more than 7 million youth (ages 5-22) annually, with the assistance of over 640,000 adult volunteers. Dr. Kress directly supervises 16 staff and works collaboratively with about 3,000 land grant university faculty and staff leading 4-H at the state and county level, and with over 60 affiliated private foundations and organizations. Federal support for these programs is approximately $80 million annually, which leverages additional state and local public dollars and substantial grants and other private funding.

Dr. Kress joined CSREES in October 2002, after serving as Assistant Director for Cornell Cooperative Extension and State 4-H Leader in New York. Dr. Kress also served as State Youth Development Specialist for Iowa State University Extension, primarily serving as a violence prevention consultant for schools and began her Extension career as a 4-H Youth Development Educator in Benton and Tama counties in Iowa.

Dr. Kress co-authored the book, Key Resources on Student Services as well as the annual guides, Understanding the Iowa Youth Survey Data: A Practical Guide for Schools and Communities. Prior experience includes teacher training and education for gifted students.

Dr. Kress lives in Southern Maryland with her husband and three children.

What is brain fitness?

Brain Fitness is the general state of a good, sharp brain and mind, especially as the result of mental and physical exercise, stress management and proper nutrition. Much like physical muscles, “mental muscles” can be strengthened to improve memory, focus and decision-making skills among others, as well as help delay the onset of age-related dementias such as Alzheimer’s.

Why has this become such a talked-about trend?

The trend has emerged because the science is now available to test and assess the effects of brain training, including: fMRI and neuroimaging; biofeedback for emotional regulation using “Heart Rate Variability” (HRV); and a growing body of clinical evidence. Just like the fitness revolution 30 years ago when people realized how much physical exercise could impact their bodies, improve their energy levels and increase their lifespan, people are now understanding that they can significantly impact their minds with brain exercise. And they are achieving the same results: a more acute and active mind that is lasting them later into life.

How does exercising your brain improve memory, concentration, etc?

A person’s brain is constantly undergoing neurogenesis, the creation of new neurons and connections between neurons. The more active a particular brain cell is, the more connections it develops. If these neurons aren’t cultivated by learning, they will wither and die without ever becoming integrated into your brain — much like an unused muscle that atrophies.

What can individuals do to exercise their brains?

While crossword puzzles, sudoku, and other mind games provide some exercise, they only address limited areas of the brain. The most effective way to stimulate and sustain neurogenesis is through programs specifically designed to offer a variety of tasks that engage a wide range of mental muscles using the right mix of novelty, variety and “stretching” practice.

What is SharpBrains?

SharpBrains is an online brain fitness center that provides state-of-the-art, science-based information, assessments and programs. The company’s goal is to help members of all ages find the best computer-based program to exercise their brains, and then support them with educational materials, interactive tools such as blogs and forums and one-on-one assistance from online brain fitness coaches.

Highlights of Brain Science

Thanks to new neuroimaging techniques, regarded “as important for neuroscience as telescopes were for astronomy”, neuroscientists are finding that the brain has a number of “core capacities” and “mental muscles” that can be exercised through novelty, variety and practice, and that exercising our brain influences the generation of new neurons and their connections.

Previous beliefs about our brain and how it works have been proven false. Some beliefs that have been debunked include claims that adult brains can not create new neurons (proven false by Berkeley scientists Marian Diamond and Mark Rosenzweig, and Salk Institute’s Fred Gage), notions that working memory has a maximum limit of 6 or 7 items (Karolinska Institute’s Torkel Klingberg), and assumptions that the brain’s basic processes can not be reorganized by repeated practice (UCSF’s Drs. Paula Tallal and Michael Merzenich). Some links and references are available below. The “mental muscles” we can train include attention, stress and emotional management, memory, visual/ spatial, auditory processes and language, motor coordination and executive functions like planning and problem-solving.

Mental stimulation is important if done in the right supportive and engaging environment. Stanford’s Robert Sapolsky has proven that chronic stress and cortical inhibition, which may be aggravated due to imposed mental stimulation, may prove counterproductive. Having the right motivation is essential.

A surprising and promising area of scientific inquiry is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). An increasing number of neuroscientists (such as UMass Medical School’s Jon Kabat-Zinn and University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Richard Davidson) are investigating the ability of trained meditators to develop and sustain attention and visualizations and to work positively with powerful emotional states and stress through the directed mental processes of meditation practices.

Key Scientific Concepts in Brain and Mind Fitness

Chronic Stress: ongoing, long-term physiological arousal where stressors block the formation of new neurons and negatively impact the immune system’s defenses.

Cortical facilitation: state of mind which is associated with improved comprehension, memory recall and the ability to solve problems. The opposite is cortical inhibition, where reactions are slowed and we cannot think clearly and where the more refined mental processes– such as abstract reasoning or comprehending the deeper meaning of what is being read or said– are especially affected.

Cognitive training: consists of a variety of brain exercises designed to help work out “mental muscles”. The principle underlying cognitive training is to help improve the “core” abilities, which most people mistakenly consider as instincts.

Cognitive Reserve (or Brain Reserve): hypothesis that addresses the fact that individuals vary considerably in the severity of cognitive aging and clinical dementia. Mental stimulation, education and occupational level are believed to be major active components of building a cognitive reserve that can help resist the attacks of mental disease.

fMRI: functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that enables researchers see images of changing blood flow in the brain associated with neural activity. This allows images to be generated that reflect which structures are activated (and how) during performance of different tasks.

Heart Rate Variability: describes the frequency of the cardiac cycle. There is a two-way communication system between the heart and the brain that regulates heart rate and blood pressure, and it is the interaction of signals flowing between the two that causes the heart rate to vary with each beat.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): yoga and meditation practices designed to enable effective responses to stress, pain, and illness.

Neuroimaging: includes the use of various techniques to either directly or indirectly image the structure, function, or pharmacology of the brain. It is a relatively new discipline within medicine and neuroscience.

Neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections throughout life.

Working memory: the ability to keep information current for a short period while using this information. Working memory is used for controlling attention, and deficits in working memory capacity lead to attention problems.

ABOUT NEAL COHEN, PSY.D

Neal Cohen, Psy.D., SharpBrains Head Brain Fitness Coach, is a licensed psychologist with expertise in neurocognitive and psychological testing; memory training; AD/HD; and learning disabilities. Dr. Cohen has spent more than a decade studying how mental exercise and stress management can improve human behavior and performance.

Dr. Cohen earned his Masters Degree and Doctorate of Psychology at the Georgia School of Professional Psychology. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy, Magna Cum Laude, from Boston University. Dr. Cohen is a licensed provider of working memory training, with a private practice in Roswell, GA.

ABOUT SHARPBRAINS

SharpBrains.com is the first online brain fitness center to provide education and tools to help people of all ages and skill levels achieve improved brain function by exercising their minds. Through personalized, computer-based brain fitness programs, SharpBrains helps individuals improve memory, concentration, decision-making and planning skills, reaction time, stress management, and other core capacities, as well as help delay the onset of age-related dementias. The company also offers education about the science behind the technology, support tools and one-on-one assistance from online brain fitness coaches to optimize mental training sessions.

A person’s brain is constantly undergoing neurogenesis, the creation of new neurons and connections between neurons. The more active a particular brain cell is, the more connections it develops. SharpBrains’ programs are designed to work out these cells with targeted mental exercises.