McKinnsey & Company consultants Artin Atabaki, Stacey Dietsch, and Julia M. Sperling point to three myths about the brain embedded in corporate training programs and could be sabotaging their effectiveness.
Unfortunately the following myths are also widely accepted and perpetuated throughout all levels of our education systems. The McKinnsey authors refer to these as “neuromyths,” because the misconception based on incorrect interpretations of neuroscientific research.
Myth #1: The critical window of childhood
Myth #2: The idle-brain theory
Myth #3: Learning styles and the left/right brain hypothesis
Fortunately, the work of Carol Dweck on promoting growth mindsets is giving us effective research based evidence to move away from the fixed mindset thinking that is central to the critical window of childhood.
Similarly evidence based educators like Dr. Will Thalheimer, the person behind The Debunker Club a site dedicated to bringing together learning theorists who are passionate about ridding the learning field of these myths. The site targets learning myth and asks member to identify examples of myths and work to remove these myths from the literature and practice.
Most recently The Debunker Club focused on learning styles and the Learning Styles are NOT an Effective Guide for Learning Design page offers the most up to date collections of evidence based links and resources debunking this pervasive myth. Thalheimer and many of his supporters argue that if we aren’t actively engaged in stopping the spread of these myths are unintentionally supporting them.
What myths are you either intentionally or unintentionally supporting or promoting?
