Brain and Engineering Lecture 1 and lecture 2
- 1. INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERInG AiT- School of advanced Technologies, engineering & SCIENCES (SATES)
- 2. ENGINEERING PSYCHOLOGY EDUCATION, LEARNING AND CREATIVITY – TOPIC 5 - 7
- 3. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works What is the brain? The brain is a complex organ that controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger and every process that regulates our body. Together, the brain and spinal cord that extends from it make up the central nervous system, or CNS.
- 4. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works Frontal lobe. The largest lobe of the brain, located in the front of the head, the frontal lobe is involved in personality characteristics, decision-making and movement. Recognition of smell usually involves parts of the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe contains Broca’s area, which is associated with speech ability. Parietal lobe. The middle part of the brain, the parietal lobe helps a person identify objects and understand spatial relationships (where one’s body is compared with objects around the person). The parietal lobe is also involved in interpreting pain and touch in the body. The parietal lobe houses Wernicke’s area, which helps the brain understand spoken language. Occipital lobe. The occipital lobe is the back part of the brain that is involved with vision. Temporal lobe. The sides of the brain, temporal lobes are involved in short-term memory, speech, musical rhythm and some degree of smell recognition.
- 5. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works What is the brain made of? Weighing about 3 pounds in the average adult, the brain is about 60% fat. The remaining 40% is a combination of water, protein, carbohydrates and salts. The brain itself is a not a muscle. It contains blood vessels and nerves, including neurons and glial cells.
- 6. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works How does the brain work? The brain sends and receives chemical and electrical signals throughout the body. Different signals control different processes, and your brain interprets each. Some make you feel tired, for example, while others make you feel pain. Some messages are kept within the brain, while others are relayed through the spine and across the body’s vast network of nerves to distant extremities. To do this, the central nervous system relies on billions of neurons (nerve cells).
- 7. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works
- 8. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works Main Parts of the Brain and Their Functions At a high level, the brain can be divided into the cerebrum, brainstem and cerebellum.
- 9. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works Cerebrum The cerebrum (front of brain) comprises gray matter (the cerebral cortex) and white matter at its center. The largest part of the brain, the cerebrum initiates and coordinates movement and regulates temperature. Other areas of the cerebrum enable speech, judgment, thinking and reasoning, problem-solving, emotions and learning. Other functions relate to vision, hearing, touch and other senses. Cerebral Cortex Cortex is Latin for “bark,” and describes the outer gray matter covering of the cerebrum. The cortex has a large surface area due to its folds, and comprises about half of the brain’s weight.
- 10. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works Brainstem The brainstem (middle of brain) connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. The brainstem includes the midbrain, the pons and the medulla. Midbrain. The midbrain (or mesencephalon) is a very complex structure with a range of different neuron clusters (nuclei and colliculi), neural pathways and other structures. These features facilitate various functions, from hearing and movement to calculating responses and environmental changes. The midbrain also contains the substantia nigra, an area affected by Parkinson’s disease that is rich in dopamine neurons and part of the basal ganglia, which enables movement and coordination. Pons. The pons is the origin for four of the 12 cranial nerves, which enable a range of activities such as tear production, chewing, blinking, focusing vision, balance, hearing and facial expression. Named for the Latin word for “bridge,” the pons is the connection between the midbrain and the medulla. Medulla. At the bottom of the brainstem, the medulla is where the brain meets the spinal cord. The medulla is essential to survival. Functions of the medulla regulate many bodily activities, including heart rhythm, breathing, blood flow, and oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. The medulla produces reflexive activities such as sneezing, vomiting, coughing and swallowing.
- 11. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works Cerebellum The cerebellum (“little brain”) is a fist-sized portion of the brain located at the back of the head, below the temporal and occipital lobes and above the brainstem. Like the cerebral cortex, it has two hemispheres. The outer portion contains neurons, and the inner area communicates with the cerebral cortex. Its function is to coordinate voluntary muscle movements and to maintain posture, balance and equilibrium. New studies are exploring the cerebellum’s roles in thought, emotions and social behavior, as well as its possible involvement in addiction, autism and schizophrenia.
- 12. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works Deeper Structures Within the Brain Pituitary Gland Sometimes called the “master gland,” the pituitary gland is a pea-sized structure found deep in the brain behind the bridge of the nose. The pituitary gland governs the function of other glands in the body, regulating the flow of hormones from the thyroid, adrenals, ovaries and testicles. It receives chemical signals from the hypothalamus through its stalk and blood supply. Hypothalamus The hypothalamus is located above the pituitary gland and sends it chemical messages that control its function. It regulates body temperature, synchronizes sleep patterns, controls hunger and thirst and also plays a role in some aspects of memory and emotion.
- 13. engineering psychology BASICS OF Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works Deeper Structures Within the Brain Amygdala Small, almond-shaped structures, an amygdala is located under each half (hemisphere) of the brain. Included in the limbic system, the amygdalae regulate emotion and memory and are associated with the brain’s reward system, stress, and the “fight or flight” response when someone perceives a threat. Hippocampus A curved seahorse-shaped organ on the underside of each temporal lobe, the hippocampus is part of a larger structure called the hippocampal formation. It supports memory, learning, navigation and perception of space. It receives information from the cerebral cortex and may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. Pineal Gland The pineal gland is located deep in the brain and attached by a stalk to the top of the third ventricle. The pineal gland responds to light and dark and secretes melatonin, which regulates circadian rhythms and the sleep-wake cycle.
- 14. FOUR-QUADRANT MODEL OF THINKING – THE WAY PEOPLE THINK
- 15. FOUR-QUADRANT MODEL OF THINKING – THE WAY PEOPLE THINK
- 16. FOUR-QUADRANT MODEL OF THINKING – THE WAY PEOPLE THINK ,
- 17. ENGINEERING EDUCATION, LEARNING AND CREATIVITY Lecture 6, deals with creativity and the learning process, and could be the most important lessons in our studies as Engineers. Here we offer practical suggestions on how to be a successful student, how to study, how to learn more efficiently, and how to approach and deal successfully with quizzes and examinations. We briefly describe the learning process and how we receive and remember information. We conclude the lectures with a treatment of the creative process and explore ways to develop and nurture creativity in engineering. To the casual reader, some of the following material may seem shallow or obvious. However, to many beginning university students to whom this lecture is addressed. This lecture is intended to help such a student approach his or her academic and professional career with purpose and confidence.
- 18. THE SUCCESSFUL ENGINEERING STUDENT Not all of the students who enter engineering programs of study succeed. Some are unable to cope with the rigors of academic life and withdraw, voluntarily or involuntarily, from school. Others struggle, fail to adjust to the demands of an academic life, and do not perform to the level of their capabilities. The educational system is designed to produce successful students. Most universities admit only those students whose high school grades and standardized test scores predict that they can achieve academic success. The successful student quickly learns to take advantage of the library, computer center, laboratories, and other campus facilities. He or she becomes aware of the many services designed to aid the learning and growing process. Such services include: tutoring, counseling and career planning, physical education and recreation, cultural presentations, health services, financial aid, housing, veteran’s affairs, and others. The beginning student should realize that such services are provided for his or her benefit and should not hesitate to make appropriate use of them.
- 19. THE ENGINEERING CURRICULUM The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) lists the following minimum accreditation requirements for a baccalaureate degree in engineering: One year of an appropriate combination of mathematics and basic sciences One and one-half years of engineering topics One-half year of humanities and social sciences Studies in mathematics must be beyond trigonometry and must include differential and integral calculus and differential equations. ABET encourages additional mathematics work in one or more subjects of probability and statistics, linear algebra, numerical analysis, and advanced calculus. Studies in basic sciences must include both general chemistry and calculus based general physics with at least a two-semester sequence in either area. Additional work in life sciences, earth sciences, advanced chemistry, or physics may be used to satisfy the basic science requirement. The basic sciences serve as the foundation of an engineering education. On this foundation, a sequence of courses referred to as engineering sciences is added.
- 20. THE ENGINEERING CURRICULUM Typically, in the third and fourth year of an engineering education, course work in engineering is introduced. These are highly specialized courses intended to equip the student for practice in his or her chosen specialty. ABET requires that each accredited program include a meaningful, major engineering design experience that is based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work and that includes engineering standards and realistic constraints such as economic factors, safety, reliability, ethics, and social and environmental impact. Essential ingredients in any engineering program of study are the humanities and social sciences. Such courses include literature, philosophy, history, economics, psychology, and sociology. Courses in the humanities and social sciences help the student understand and appreciate the impacts of engineering works on society and the natural environment.
- 21. ADAPTING TO THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM Although most engineering professors are highly specialized and knowledgeable in their field, few have taken any courses in how to teach. The engineering professors who are effective teachers— and many are—were either naturally gifted or learned the skills of teaching on the job. Furthermore, college deans and department heads usually offer only the broadest of educational guidelines to the faculty. Because of this hit-or-miss approach, students must cope with a highly varied cadre of instructors. Some take roll; some do not. Some assign much homework and require that it be turned in and graded; others do not. Instructors may be friendly or aloof; demanding or easy; skillful or inept; laid back or formal and businesslike. This, of course, makes the learning process more difficult and places additional demands on the student.
- 22. T H E L E A R N I N G P R O C E S S - THE NATURE OF LEARNING Learning is a lifelong, continuous process. We experience many kinds of learning at various times and in many ways. One of the simplest and most basic forms of learning is known as conditioning. Conditioning is the acquisition of fairly specific patterns of behavior in the presence of well- defined stimuli. A slightly different type of conditioning, known as operant conditioning, occurs when some desired voluntary behavior is rewarded or reinforced while undesired behavior is ignored or punished. Learning specialists recognize that human behavior may be strongly influenced by secondary rein- forcers whose value is learned through association with other rein-forcers. Money, for example, is a secondary rein-forcer that, because of its association with food, clothing, and other primary rein- forcers, is widely recognized as a powerful reward.
- 23. INFORMATION PROCESSING AND MEMORY We receive information from our various senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. As the figure illustrates, stimuli from these senses come into our sensory registers where it is retained for a few seconds. If nothing more happens to this raw information, it is forgotten. Generally, information from the visual sensory register fades very quickly or is replaced or erased by new visual information. The auditory echo tends to last longer, typically for several seconds. The raw data that enters the sensory register must be processed for meaning. Exactly how this occurs is not fully understood. One possibility is that we match incoming information to a set of templates stored in our long-term memory. Some specialists believe that we have approximate, rough prototypes stored in our long-term memory that help us to identify new information and give it meaning. Still others believe that we have feature detectors that allow us to process and understand new information.
- 24. INFORMATION PROCESSING AND MEMORY Our short-term memory is active, conscious, and temporary. It is capable of holding much less information than our sensory registers but for a slightly longer time. Learning specialists generally agree that the short-term memory can deal with no more than 9 or 10 items at a time. Typically, information in the short-term memory will disappear in 10 to 20 seconds unless it is repeated or rehearsed. A distraction or interference from other information can also cause us to lose information from the short-term memory. Everything we know and need to think is stored in the long-term memory; there is no known limit to its capacity. There is reason to believe that long-term memory is divided into several stores of knowledge, some containing verbal information, some visual, and others with information on tastes, sounds, and smells.
- 26. DETERMINANTS OF EFFICIENT LEARNING Educational psychologists report that learning efficiency depends on at least three factors: 1. The material to be learned. 2. The psychological state of the learner. 3. Learning strategies.
- 27. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR LEARNING Here are some practical guidelines that are offered to help engineering students learn and improve their performance on homework and examinations. 1. Regularly attend classes and laboratory sessions. Professors tend to interpret poor class attendance as a lack of interest on the part of the student. 2. Find a quiet place to study. Early in the term, develop a regular routine that includes adequate times for class preparation. 3. Be alert in class. Listen attentively and demonstrate interest in class and in laboratory activities. 4. Record points of significance for the instructor’s lecture. Think about the major points of emphasis. Too often, taking notes in class fits this definition: “The process by which the material in the professor’s notebook gets into the student’s notebook without passing through the mind of either.” 5. Do not hesitate to seek clarification on matters that are not clear. Ask questions in class, and take advantage of offers of assistance during the professor’s office hours. 6. Begin preparing for examinations on the first meeting of the class. Maintain the pace of the course. Avoid the need to “cram” on the night before an examination.
- 28. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR LEARNING Here are some practical guidelines that are offered to help engineering students learn and improve their performance on homework and examinations. 7. Approach your work with a positive mental attitude. Develop a habit of attending class, doing homework, and taking quizzes and examinations because you want to, not because you have to. Behavioral experts claim that such a change in attitude will almost certainly improve a student’s performance. 8. In preparing for a difficult quiz or examination, visualize yourself taking the examination. Develop a mental picture of yourself confidently answering the questions, working the problems, and finishing on time. Think of yourself as someone who approaches examinations with confidence, and rehearse this mental image over and over again. Positive visualizations are helpful in overcoming the problem that many students have of “choking” on exams. 9. While continuing to devote sufficient time and effort to your work, find time to relax and rest. From time to time, take stock of your life, and be sure that you are not underemphasizing, overemphasizing, or omitting completely some part of your life. In other words, try to keep all of life’s goals and aspirations in proper balance.
- 29. C R E AT I V I T Y Engineering is a creative profession. Engineering students therefore need to make optimal use of their creative potential. Few people can hope to attain the creative genius of a Galileo, da Vinci, or Newton. However, all of us are creative, and we can learn to develop and use more efficiently our creative abilities. Socrates wrote: “That which is used strengthens and grows, while that which is not used withers and dies.”In the remaining sections of this chapter, we define creativity and describe the creative process. Then we list some of the obstacles to creative thinking and suggest ways to develop and improve creativity. What is CREATIVITY? Psychologists who have studied creativity define it in various ways. A general definition is: “Mental processes that lead to ideas, solutions, conceptualizations, theories, artistic forms or products that are unique and novel.” Harmon stated that the creative process is “any process by which something new is produced: an idea or object, a new form or arrangement of old elements.” Arieti expressed it in this way: “Human creativity uses what is already existing and available and changes it in unpredictable ways.” The creative process involves inventive, artistic, and inspirational thought. It is characterized by originality and imagination.
- 30. THE NATURE OF CREATIVITY There are many types of creativity, and it exists in almost all realms of human existence. There is a special kind of creativity that is associated with profound and abstract concepts, the kind possessed by the Albert Einsteins and Sir Isaac Newtons of the world. Creativity for such gifted individuals often begins with almost childlike and primal questions such as “What is air and light?” “Why is fire hot?” and “Why does an apple fall to the earth?” From such basic questions have come some of the most brilliant, creative thought known to mankind. Other types of creativity are associated with the artists and writers, who are said to be inspired, and whose genius largely seems to come from the subconscious. Still others possess a natural creativity which allows them to be great dancers, singers, musicians, or athletes. The type of creativity that is most often associated with engineers and scientists is applied creativity which often involves taking sensory experiences and existing things and transforming them into theoretical knowledge or a new design or process. George Washington Carver, Madame Curie, and Thomas Edison are examples of people who functioned in this creative realm. Such people are inspired and imaginative, but their work is tempered with the practical and more controlled with logic and reason.
- 31. CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVE PEOPLE What types of people are most likely to be creative? What are the developmental, cognitive, and personality hallmarks that set them apart from ordinary individuals? Such issues have been studied at length by psychologists and social scientists, and while their findings have not always been certain and consistent, they have revealed some interesting insights into the nature and characteristics of creative people. Researchers have reported that children who are raised in a diversified and stimulating home environment, who experience unusual situations, and who are exposed to a wide range of ideas are more likely to be creative adults. They have also reported that creative adults, while children, liked school and did well, developed excellent work habits, were voracious readers, and were happier with books than with people. Investigators have identified four traits that are commonly associated with creative individuals: originality, verbal fluency, relatively high intelligence, and a good imagination. Creative people also tend to possess logical thinking skills, yet cope well with novelty and can avoid fixed ways of thinking. They show flexibility and skill in making decisions and possess an independence of judgment.
- 32. CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVE PEOPLE Some researchers have reported that creative individuals question accepted norms and assumptions and are alert to gaps in knowledge in their domain. They commonly have the ability to recognize “good” problems in their field and to apply themselves to solving these problems while ignoring others. Creative people are open to new experiences and growth. They typically are perseverant, curious, and inquisitive. They usually are highly motivated and well focused and are willing to confront hostility and take intellectual risks. They prefer to set their own rules rather than follow those set by others. They are sometimes unconventional in behavior, withdrawn, reflective, and internally preoccupied.
- 33. THE CREATIVE PROCESS The creative process begins with an observation of a need or problem. Next is a need to analyze the situation and gather as much data as possible. To summarize, no single parameter can explain the creative process. In fact, the process often seems to an observer to be somewhat haphazard and without a definite pattern. Certain observable attributes are, however, frequently present: 1. Recognition of the need or problem. 2. A period of intense concentration. 3. A period of relaxation or incubation. 4. The illumination, when the solution suddenly and spontaneously appears. 5. The evaluation or verification of the solution.
- 34. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO CREATIVE THINKING How does one become a more creative thinker? To VanGundy, it is a matter of learning to use efficiently both hemispheres of the brain. VanGundy lists obstacles to creative thinking which fall into five categories: perceptual, emotional, cultural, environmental, and intellectual/expressive. Perceptual ,,,,,,,,,,Imposing too many constraints on the problem Emotional…………. Feeling overwhelmed by the problem Intellectual/expressive…………… Use of rigid problem-solving strategies Cultural………………. Overemphasis on reason and logic Environmental …………Lack of time and suitable study place
- 35. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO CREATIVE THINKING There are some specific actions and attitudes that can be employed to overcome obstacles to creative thinking, including: 1. Avoid placing unnecessary constraints on the problem being solved. 2. Search for different ways to view the problem, avoiding preconceived beliefs and stereotypical thinking. 3. Recognize that there are non engineering solutions to many problems. Consider approaches that might be used by other disciplines. 4. Most creative thought involves putting experiences and thoughts into new patterns and arrangements. Look therefore for relationships that are remote and solutions that are unusual and nontraditional. 5. Divide complex problems into manageable parts and concentrate on solving one part at a time.
- 36. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO CREATIVE THINKING There are some specific actions and attitudes that can be employed to overcome obstacles to creative thinking, including: 6. After periods of intensive concentration, allow time for incubation. 7. Be open for a variety of problem-solving strategies. Arieti expressed a similar view: Creativity is not simply originality and unlimited freedom. There is much more to it than that. Creativity also imposes restrictions. While it uses methods other than those of ordinary thinking, it must not be in disagreement with ordinary thinking—or rather, it must be something that, sooner or later, ordinary thinking will understand, accept, and appreciate. Otherwise the result would be bizarre, not creative.
- 37. References BOOKS Psychology Today: An Introduction, by JAY BRAUN, DARWIN E. LINDER, AND ISAAC ASIMOV, Chapter 11, Random House, New York, 1979. Engineering: The Career and the Profession, by W. EDWARD RED, Chapter 4, Brooks/Cole Engineering Division, Monterey, CA, 1982.
- 38. THANKYOU