David J.M. Kraemer, PhD   
From Lab to Lecture Hall: Insights from Cognitive Neuroscience Concerning Visual Learning and Instruction

Does one's preference for thinking in terms of pictures or words actually predict the types of materials one is better at processing? Do different types of "learners" use different brain regions to process the same material? This talk will focus on the idea of learning styles (e.g., visual learners versus verbal learners) as seen from the perspective of Cognitive Neuroscience. It will explore topics including how brain areas involved in visual perception also underlie the functions of visual cognition, such as knowing and reasoning about visual information.

David Kraemer is a fellow in the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. He received a BS in psychology from Tufts University and a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from Dartmouth College. His research involves how the mind represents different forms of linguistic and non-linguistic semantic knowledge. In particular, it has focused on the role of modality-specific brain regions (visual cortex, auditory cortex, motor planning areas) during the retrieval and processing of perceptual knowledge. Currently, he is exploring how the brain supports individual differences in cognitive processing and what implications these differences have for memory and reasoning.

Enhancing Learning in Lectures:
Psychological Principles Underlying Compelling PowerPoint Presentations

This talk will focus on 12 common errors in the visual presentation of information (usually using PowerPoint slides), and will show that they occur because simple psychological principles have not been respected. The talk will not only characterize and document these errors, but also show how they can be avoided or repaired. Clear and compelling presentations play to the cognitive strengths of the human mind and avoid falling prey to their weaknesses.
 
Stephen M. Kosslyn is Dean of Social Science and John Lindsley Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and Associate Psychologist in the Department of Neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He received a BA from UCLA and a PhD from Stanford University, both in psychology. His original graduate training was in Cognitive Science, which focused on the intersection of cognitive psychology and Artificial Intelligence. Faced with limitations in those approaches, he eventually turned to study the brain, and is one of the founders of the field of Cognitive Neuroscience. His research has focused primarily on the nature of visual mental imagery, visual perception, and visual communication.
 

View streaming video of Dr. Kraemer's talk

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