Ann Brown
Encyclopedia
Ann Leslie Brown was an educational psychologist who developed methods for teaching children to be better learners. Her interest in the human memory brought Brown to focus on active memory strategies that would help enhance human memory and developmental differences in memory tasks. Her realization that children's learning difficulties often stem from an inability to use metacognitive strategies such as summarizing led to profound advances in educational psychology
theory and teaching practices.
Brown received a PhD in psychology
from the University of London
for research on “Anxiety and Complex Learning Performance in Children.” She moved to the United States
where she met her husband and collaborator Joseph Campione. Brown received several prestigious awards for her research and served as president of American Educational Research Association
.
In the words of one fifth-grade student quoted by Palincsar (2003):
instruction. Instead of recalling relative meaningless material, studies moved towards connecting the material, which allowed Brown to move towards further research in text comprehension.
Brown was also instrumental in the development of the method of reciprocal teaching
, in which teachers and students take turns leading structured discussions of text.
. The project was noted to be similar to earlier reform methods such as progressive education, discovery learning and other influential works by John Dewey
. Critics questioned how Brown and Campione's project of FCL would differ from Dewey and perhaps succeed where Dewey did not. Brown and Campione assure that while the approaches to the FCL project are similar to Dewey's early works, there are also differences. The approach to the project was to create a program that met between the theories of discovery learning
and didactic learning. According to Brown and Campione, discovery learning that was unguided could potentially be dangerous, while didactic study lead to passive learners. Therefore Brown and Campione's approach of “guided discovery” was the middle ground between the two.
In FCL, students were encouraged to design their own learning through a curriculum they prepared themselves therefore acting as collaborative researchers. A teacher, or guide, is then responsible for modeling, fostering, and guiding the process of discovery into forms of disciplined examination. The project also utilized reciprocal teaching
, which allowed students to study and share their expertise with a group and discuss material they have prepared themselves.
The curriculum of a FCL classroom was a key feature to the program. Depending on the curricula, the classroom activity fostered various themes and unites that aided in the further development of the student. Biological themes included interdependence and adaptation while environmental science themes included balance, competition, and cooperation.
Through the Brown and Campione team, the FCL research enhanced the interaction between classroom and laboratory research. Research conducted in a laboratory allowed a better understanding of the developmental patterns demonstrated by children and in turn gave rise to classroom observations in which hypotheses could be systematically explore in relatively controlled environments.
Brown, A.L. (1992). Design experiments: Theoretical and methodological challenges in creating complex interventions in classroom settings. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2(2), 141-178. (147 Citations, PsycINFO)
Brown, A.L., & Campione, J.C. (1994). Guided discovery in a community of learners. In K. McGilly (Ed.), Classroom lessons: Integrating cognitive theory and classroom practice. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press/Bradford Books.
Brown, A.L., & Campione, J.C. (1996). Psychological theory and the design of innovative learning environments: On procedures, principles, and systems. In L. Schauble & R. Glaser (Eds.), Innovations in learning: New environments for education (pp. 289–325). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Educational psychology
Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing...
theory and teaching practices.
Brown received a PhD in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
for research on “Anxiety and Complex Learning Performance in Children.” She moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where she met her husband and collaborator Joseph Campione. Brown received several prestigious awards for her research and served as president of American Educational Research Association
American Educational Research Association
The American Educational Research Association, or AERA, was founded in 1916 as a professional organization representing educational researchers in the United States and around the world....
.
In the words of one fifth-grade student quoted by Palincsar (2003):
Ann Brown—she’s really very sophisticated. She knows a lot about a lot of things.
It’s no wonder people picked her to be president of AERA. She’s good at organizing
and she keeps track of all our work no matter how much we do. She spends a lot of
time with kids. Yeah, that’s what I like. When she comes to school she spends time
with the kids instead of the adults. She listens to make sure that we have learned. To
tell you the truth, she really is a big help. She makes you feel so proud of yourself.
You know, your self-confidence gets better.
Contributions in Educational Research
Through her research, Brown and her colleagues hypothesized that some metacognitive strategies, such as general problem solving routines like summarizing and self-testing, had advantages over other strategies i.e. MnemonicMnemonic
A mnemonic , or mnemonic device, is any learning technique that aids memory. To improve long term memory, mnemonic systems are used to make memorization easier. Commonly encountered mnemonics are often verbal, such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something,...
instruction. Instead of recalling relative meaningless material, studies moved towards connecting the material, which allowed Brown to move towards further research in text comprehension.
Brown was also instrumental in the development of the method of reciprocal teaching
Reciprocal teaching
Reciprocal teaching is an instructional activity in the form of a dialogue between teachers and students regarding segments of text. Reciprocal teaching is an excellent reading technique which aids the teaching process...
, in which teachers and students take turns leading structured discussions of text.
Fostering Community of Learners
Fostering Community of Learners (FCL) was a program launched by Brown along with her husband Joseph Campione at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. The project was noted to be similar to earlier reform methods such as progressive education, discovery learning and other influential works by John Dewey
John Dewey
John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Dewey was an important early developer of the philosophy of pragmatism and one of the founders of functional psychology...
. Critics questioned how Brown and Campione's project of FCL would differ from Dewey and perhaps succeed where Dewey did not. Brown and Campione assure that while the approaches to the FCL project are similar to Dewey's early works, there are also differences. The approach to the project was to create a program that met between the theories of discovery learning
Discovery learning
Discovery Learning is a method of inquiry-based instruction and is considered a constructivist based approach to education. It is supported by the work of learning theorists and psychologists Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner, and Seymour Papert...
and didactic learning. According to Brown and Campione, discovery learning that was unguided could potentially be dangerous, while didactic study lead to passive learners. Therefore Brown and Campione's approach of “guided discovery” was the middle ground between the two.
In FCL, students were encouraged to design their own learning through a curriculum they prepared themselves therefore acting as collaborative researchers. A teacher, or guide, is then responsible for modeling, fostering, and guiding the process of discovery into forms of disciplined examination. The project also utilized reciprocal teaching
Reciprocal teaching
Reciprocal teaching is an instructional activity in the form of a dialogue between teachers and students regarding segments of text. Reciprocal teaching is an excellent reading technique which aids the teaching process...
, which allowed students to study and share their expertise with a group and discuss material they have prepared themselves.
The curriculum of a FCL classroom was a key feature to the program. Depending on the curricula, the classroom activity fostered various themes and unites that aided in the further development of the student. Biological themes included interdependence and adaptation while environmental science themes included balance, competition, and cooperation.
Through the Brown and Campione team, the FCL research enhanced the interaction between classroom and laboratory research. Research conducted in a laboratory allowed a better understanding of the developmental patterns demonstrated by children and in turn gave rise to classroom observations in which hypotheses could be systematically explore in relatively controlled environments.
External links
Influential Works
Palincsar, A.S., & Brown, A.L. (1984). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension-fostering and comprehension-monitoring activities. Cognition and Instruction, 1(2), 117-175. (159 Citations, PsycINFO)Brown, A.L. (1992). Design experiments: Theoretical and methodological challenges in creating complex interventions in classroom settings. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2(2), 141-178. (147 Citations, PsycINFO)
Brown, A.L., & Campione, J.C. (1994). Guided discovery in a community of learners. In K. McGilly (Ed.), Classroom lessons: Integrating cognitive theory and classroom practice. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press/Bradford Books.
Brown, A.L., & Campione, J.C. (1996). Psychological theory and the design of innovative learning environments: On procedures, principles, and systems. In L. Schauble & R. Glaser (Eds.), Innovations in learning: New environments for education (pp. 289–325). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.