Shiv on Learning

Ways the Brain Makes meaning - Tom Wujec

Yet another great video from TED.


Notes

• Animations, graphics and illustrations create meaning.
• The brain does not see the world as it is.
• It creates a series of mental models based on ‘ah ha’ moments (moments of discovery).
• Processing begins with visions - the primary visual cortex redirects information to up to 30 other parts of the brain that each make more sense of the information.

3 parts of the brain involved in making meaning

• Ventral Stream – Recognises what something is.
• Dorsal Stream – Locates the object in physical body space.
• Limbic System – Feels, produces emotional reactions.

The combination of these helps us make meaning. The eyes interrogate what we look at,
the brain processes it in parallel and creates a unified mental model. 
We make meaning by visual interrogation.

Lessons to learn

• Use images to clarify what we are trying to communicate (visualise).
• Make images interactive so we engage more fully.
• Augment memory with Persistent & Evolving Views

Now if only we had a medium that was visual, interactive and persistent :)