#Attention Schema Theory

[averycanadianfilm]

Attention Schema Theory (AST) by Michael Graziano [MESEC WinterSchool 2023]

May 12, 2023

Michael Graziano's keynote at MESEC 2023 WinterSchool about 

the Attention Schema Theory (AST).   

Included topics: attention, attention schema, body schema, modeling vision and attention, illusionist

[moodyseal]

I got too deep into the Schema Theory while writing the paper for one of my exams and it got me thinking about Apollo's coping mechanisms yk

Basically the gist of this theory is that, in the eventuality that their primary needs are not satisfied during their formative years, a child might develop a bunch of different behavioural schemes in their adult life (which are too many to be listed here oh my god) that are a direct reflection of how the parent failed them during childhood

For example, one of these schemes is emotional deprivation, which is a person's tendency to emotionally distance themselves from other people due to the fact that they believe they won't be able to comfort them, and it's a scheme that's formed due to the guardian not satisfying the child's emotional needs. Basically it's formed through a "If my parent couldn't do it, then how could others?" sort of mentality

Another one, which I believe is very relevant here, is the sense of failure, which originates due to the guardian's immensely overbearing nature and the continuous dissatisfaction with the child's efforts. As an adult, the child in question believes that they're inept at everything, even if evidence points to the contrary, because of the fundamental belief that they hold that they're a failure

(Does it remind you of anyone?)

Now, these schemes tend to go hand in hand with modes, which are essentially coping mechanisms that the person uses to deal with whatever life throws at them and whatever negative emotion these schemes bring on. One of these modes is the *squints* scheme overcompensation? Anyway what it says on the article I got the info from is that basically people who use this coping mechanism tend to do the opposite of what their behavioural scheme tells them to do. If they're ashamed, they put down others. If they feel like a failure, they boast. (Again. Who does this sound like.)

AT FIRST it seems like a good coping mechanism but it's actually not, because the overcompensation leads to this vicious cycle where the more a person overcompensates, the more the scheme worsens. In Apollo's case, the scheme we're examining here is his sense of failure; in his overcompensation mode, to avoid feeling incompetent he tries to constantly put himself in the spotlight, drawing attention to his talents. However, he does it in such a ridiculous way (perhaps actually in some form of self-sabotage?) that the people around him insult those talents, call him a failure, and thus worsen his feeling of worthlessness.

(This might be tied to the punitive scheme as well, maybe? Considering how keen Zeus was on punishment, Apollo might've developed this scheme as a result, though over the centuries it could've shifted its focus from everyone to just him idk. The change between "I'm punishing everything and everyone for being so stupid, even my own son + this Ptolemaic god who breathed wrong in my direction" to "Actually I'm chill" seems pretty suspicious to me tbh)

ANYWAY all of this is to say that everything he does is so intrinsically tied to the damage Zeus did to him that it hurts. All his behaviours all his coping mechanisms. Everything

The arrogance is not just a façade he built over the years to hide his feeling of unhappiness and guilt!! It's quite literally an abuse response!!!!

And yeah maybe Leto was the one who spent the most time with him and Artemis and who took the most care of them so technically she should be considered his figure of attachment instead of Zeus but then again. How much time did Apollo spend beside her compared to the time he spent at Zeus' side, after the twins became Olympians? What do a few moments with her in a year do against entire centuries with him?

Leto's influence never really mattered. He was doomed since the beginning

[binaural-histolog]

Hypnosis and Cognitive Schemas

Okay, this is the big one. I'm putting together a page on hypnotic suggestions that alter mental perceptions.

This is going to be a monster, so I'm not even attempting to put it up in one go. Instead, I've got some theory and the beginner suggestions up.

The theory is based around cognitive schema, which is (roughly) all the precepts we use to immediately perceive environment and situation without building the world up from first principles.

There's crossover with memory, expectancies, and beliefs, but that can't really be avoided. What I want to get at here is that perception uses schemas to give us a picture of "reality" that is really condensed and filtered through what we think we already know. If you change those schemas, you change perception.

This explains a paradox about hypnosis that always confused me. People who are hypnotized often don't have amnesia. They can remember the suggestions that they've been given. But the suggestions still work -- give a suggestion that someone is invisible, and they won't see them. Their conscious experience of the world comes from perception, and their perception tells them that they don't see this person.

I'm also very happy with the find that perception and schema fit neatly into attention schema. There are many hypnotic suggestions that work by directing attention, either by making something functionally ignored or by causing complete fascination with an object. I want more investigation of attention disorders from this perspective, but it looks like AI and cognitive neuroscience people are more into it than the psychology academics.

I am still trying to figure out how to slice up this page to cover how mental suggestions can be categorized. Defining it as "self / interpersonal / environment" is one option, but it doesn't get across the ways that you can convince / manipulate people, and how narrative and storytelling ties into schema. There's rhetoric, there's wants and needs, there's the interplay of tension and release... Good suggestions are an art and it's hard to summarize them in headings and bullet points.

[unwelcome-ozian]

THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND TREATMENT MODELS (listed alphabetically)

Practitioners who are unfamiliar with dissociative disorders or to working with DID may prefer to start with texts that are based on their core models or familiar ways of working. Survivors can also expect to come across and be offered a variety of theoretical approaches, summarised below, although none have the monopoly on healing. It is more important that professional help is trauma-informed and based on a collaborative and companionable approach to finding what is best for each individual’s journey.

Attachment-based Psychotherapy – focuses on relationships and bonds between people. It emphasises the developing child’s need to form a healthy emotional bond with at least one primary caregiver for positive social and emotional development.

Doing Psychotherapy: A Trauma and Attachment-Informed Approach, (2020) by Robin Shapiro

Nurturing Children: From Trauma to Growth Using Attachment Theory, Psychoanalysis and Neurobiology, (2019), by Graham Music (See description in Working With children & Adolescents)

Trauma and the Avoidant Client: Attachment-Based Strategies for Healing, (2010), & Trauma and the Struggle to Open Up, (2019) by Robert Muller

Working with the Developmental Trauma of Childhood Neglect, (2022), by Ruth Cohn

Cognitive & Behavioural – theories and therapies elaborate the interplay between mind, thought, behaviour and action, and demonstrate how they can provoke emotions and contribute towards the maintenance of problems or towards recovery.

Cognitive Behavioural Approaches to the Understanding and Treatment of Dissociation, (2013) edited by Fiona Kennedy, Helen Kennerley & David Pearson

DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition, (2014) by Marsha Linehan

Reinventing Your Life, (Schema Therapy-updated 2019) by Jeffrey Young & Janet Klosko

The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Recovering from Trauma and PTSD: Using Compassion-Focused Therapy to Overcome Flashbacks, Shame, Guilt, and Fear, (2013), by Deborah Lee & Sophie James

Trauma-Focused ACT: A Practitioner’s Guide to Working with Mind, Body, and Emotion Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, (2021), by Russ Harris

Creative Therapies – use arts-based models and interventions, including music, drama, movement, art or play, with support from a trained professional. Individuals of all ages may find them helpful because they address issues and support expression without the need to talk or focus on the physical self.

A Therapeutic Treasure Box for Working with Children and Adolescents with Developmental Trauma, (2017), by Karen Treisman

Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy, (2020), by Cathy Malchiodi

Integrative Therapy – affirms and blends different models of therapy with consideration given to what works and why.

Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders, (2009), by Paul Dell & John O’Neil (Eds)

Mindsight: Transform Your Brain with the New Science of Kindness, (2011) by Daniel Siegel

Neurobiology and Treatment of Traumatic Dissociation: Towards an Embodied Self, (2008) by Ulrich Lanius, Sandra Paulsen & Frank Corrigan

Working with Voices and Dissociative Parts – A Trauma-informed approach, (2019) by Dolores Mosquera. (See description in Treatment Books)

Internal Family Systems Therapy – elaborates the relationships between parts of self or psyche and demonstrates how separation or division between parts can cause suffering.

Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual: Trauma-Informed Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, PTSD & Substance Abuse, (2017) by Frank Anderson, Richard Schwartz & Martha Sweezy

Internal Family Systems Therapy, 2nd Edition, (2019) by Richard Schwarz & Martha Sweezy

Mindfulness – a meditative practice that reconnects individuals to the present moment; purposefully drawing attention and focus to moment-by-moment, internal and/or external awareness.

Dissociation, Mindfulness, and Creative Meditations: Trauma-Informed Practices to Facilitate Growth, (2017), by Christine Forner

Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing, (2018), by David Treleaven & Willoughby Britton

Polyvagal Theory – explains the importance and value of interpersonal neurobiology in recovery from trauma, and the effect of trauma on the body and the brain. The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation, (2011) by Stephen Porges The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy, (2018) by Deb Dana

Psychoanalytic – theories and therapies that aim to treat mental disorders and distress by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious mind.

The Dissociative Mind in Psychoanalysis: Understanding and Working with Trauma, (2016), by Elizabeth Howell & Sheldon Itzkowitz

Trauma, Dissociation and Multiplicity: Working on Identity and Selves, (2010) edited by Valerie Sinason

Psychodynamic – based on the theories and principles of psychoanalysis, but with an increased emphasis on an individual’s relationship with their external world; seeks to understand conscious and unconscious processes that influence emotions, thoughts and behaviour patterns.

Easy Ego State Interventions: Strategies for Working with Parts, (2016) by Robin Shapiro

Somatic (Body-Oriented) Resources – recognise that trauma and its effects are stored within the body, and cause dysregulation and restriction to movement and/or emotion.

EMDR Eye Movement, Desensitisation & Reprocessing – a psychotherapeutic approach that uses visual, auditory or tactile stimuli bilaterally, (from side-to-side of the body), in a rhythmical pattern, to enable reprocessing of memory and its effects. Care needs to be exercised with RAMCOA survivors, since similar techniques have been used in some survivors’ abuse, and EMDR may prove triggering or breach the therapeutic relationship.

EMDR and Dissociation: The Progressive Approach, (2012) by Anabel Gonzalez & Dolores Mosquera

EMDR Toolbox: Theory and Treatment of Complex PTSD and Dissociation, 2nd Edn, (2018), by James Knipe

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy – an evolving “body-oriented talking therapy”, helps individuals stabilise, discharge and resolve physiological symptoms of trauma and adverse experiences.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment, (2015) by Pat Ogden & Janina Fisher

Trauma and the Body, (2006) by Pat Ogden, Kekuni Minton & Clare Pain

Additionally: The Body Remembers Volume 2, (2017) by Babette Rothschild 8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery, (2010) by Babette Rothschild

Somatic Experiencing – focuses on the body and perceived body sensations, to express and relieve mental and physical traumatic stress-related conditions.

In an Unspoken Voice, (2010) by Peter Levine

Waking the Tiger, (1997) by Peter Levine

[sheathandshear]

Something that is missing in a lot of the Trans Disc Horse around trans men and transmasculine people and the specific (but also not unique!) problems many face from society is this... particular terror many people have (yes, cis and trans) around people who look masculine but act feminine, particularly in that grey area of appearance where they don't look quite like a cis woman and don't look quite like a cis man and so must be up to something, because why else would you carry out that kind of deception rather than just be one or the other? The gender that we "are" and the gender that we're "pretending to be" vary wildly with the observer; the only constant is that discomfort and suspicion.

The people who've been overtly transphobic to me haven't done so on the basis that I'm a woman pretending to be a man -- their complaint was that I was too much of a man to be a woman. That I was a threat to them because of covert (not overt!) masculinity. These were not situations of "oh, assumed to be TMA until revealed to be TME and then the cis people apologized and fell all over themselves to retract their bigotry and suspicion" (which... never happens anyway? tf). I'm tall and big, but I don't bind, I'm not on HRT, I have prominent breasts, my voice is high, it is very obvious that I'm not a cisgender man, and yet their complaints were the same. "I don't want HER, SHE's a MAN!" (Actual quote.) These people don't give a shit that I have breasts and a uterus and a vagina and more estrogen than testosterone, they already know that I do; the imagined predatory penis in my pants is real and dangerous in their minds as an actual physical one.

I personally have sympathy for these people. Almost everyone I've had this reaction from have been cisgender women and girls who've had deeply traumatic experiences at the hands of men and see in me that which hurt them, only worse, because I don't fit clearly into the box of "man" or "woman". I recognize that this is not about me as a person, but rather a consequence of the pain and conditioning that came before me. It doesn't make it okay to take these things out on me, but even though it hurts, I choose not to take offense. Cisgender men, by and large, have neither cared nor paid attention to the subtle signals of my gendered appearance and presentation -- they tend to take me at face value, and I've gotten bro'd, brother'd, sir'd, and man'd far more often by men. (Which I recognize is NOT the experience of many transfeminine people, especially those who date men.)

I genuinely don't know how to characterize this kind of suspicion and aggression as anything other than a specific kind of transmisogyny -- not exactly as transfeminine people experience it, but close enough that it provides categorization for these experiences better than any other schema of societal oppression that we've come up with. It's not misogyny, it's not homophobia, it's not transmisandry, it's not exactly femmephobia, it is very specifically the prejudice against behaving like a woman but appearing like a man and the assumption that I must have some nefarious purpose for doing so. And there is not an inconsiderable extent to which my choice to currently not pursue HRT or present myself as a man rather than a "theyfab" is because I'm a pediatric nurse and I work with children in very physically and emotionally vulnerable situations and I'm afraid of getting more of these reactions than I already do. Do I get as many as one of my trans woman friends, who also works with children? No. But I've gotten more as I present more and more masculine, I'm sure that it would only increase as I progress further down the path of masculinization, and I suspect that my anxieties around further transition are not that far off from some of my transfem siblings and sisters in a similar position, even though according to prevailing trans theories our experiences should be exact opposites.

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 11, 2023

In the Body’s Eye: The computational anatomy of interoceptive inference. Allen, M., Levy, A., Parr, T., & Friston, K. J. (2022). PLOS Computational Biology, 18(9), e1010490.

Schemas provide a scaffold for neocortical integration of new memories over time. Audrain, S., & McAndrews, M. P. (2022). Nature Communications, 13, 5795.

Anterior cingulate cortex causally supports flexible learning under motivationally challenging and cognitively demanding conditions. Banaie Boroujeni, K., Sigona, M. K., Treuting, R. L., Manuel, T. J., Caskey, C. F., & Womelsdorf, T. (2022). PLOS Biology, 20(9), e3001785.

Neural signature of flexible coding in prefrontal cortex. Bocincova, A., Buschman, T. J., Stokes, M. G., & Manohar, S. G. (2022). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(40), e2200400119.

Divisive normalization is an efficient code for multivariate Pareto-distributed environments. Bucher, S. F., & Brandenburger, A. M. (2022). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(40), e2120581119.

Prior fear learning enables the rapid assimilation of new fear memories directly into cortical networks. Concina, G., Renna, A., Milano, L., & Sacchetti, B. (2022). PLOS Biology, 20(9), e3001789.

Sleep-promoting neurons remodel their response properties to calibrate sleep drive with environmental demands. Dissel, S., Klose, M. K., van Swinderen, B., Cao, L., Ford, M., Periandri, E. M., … Shaw, P. J. (2022). PLOS Biology, 20(9), e3001797.

Constructing functional models from biophysically-detailed neurons. Duggins, P., & Eliasmith, C. (2022). PLOS Computational Biology, 18(9), e1010461.

A neuronal prospect theory model in the brain reward circuitry. Imaizumi, Y., Tymula, A., Tsubo, Y., Matsumoto, M., & Yamada, H. (2022). Nature Communications, 13, 5855.

Data-driven emergence of convolutional structure in neural networks. Ingrosso, A., & Goldt, S. (2022). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(40), e2201854119.

Excitatory and inhibitory effects of HCN channel modulation on excitability of layer V pyramidal cells. Mäki-Marttunen, T., & Mäki-Marttunen, V. (2022). PLOS Computational Biology, 18(9), e1010506.

Recurrent neural networks with explicit representation of dynamic latent variables can mimic behavioral patterns in a physical inference task. Rajalingham, R., Piccato, A., & Jazayeri, M. (2022). Nature Communications, 13, 5865.

Hippocampal ripples signal contextually mediated episodic recall. Sakon, J. J., & Kahana, M. J. (2022). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(40), e2201657119.

Dynamic and stable population coding of attentional instructions coexist in the prefrontal cortex. Sapountzis, P., Paneri, S., Papadopoulos, S., & Gregoriou, G. G. (2022). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(40), e2202564119.

Connectivity concepts in neuronal network modeling. Senk, J., Kriener, B., Djurfeldt, M., Voges, N., Jiang, H.-J., Schüttler, L., … van Albada, S. J. (2022). PLOS Computational Biology, 18(9), e1010086.

Synaptic balancing: A biologically plausible local learning rule that provably increases neural network noise robustness without sacrificing task performance. Stock, C. H., Harvey, S. E., Ocko, S. A., & Ganguli, S. (2022). PLOS Computational Biology, 18(9), e1010418.

A normative model of peripersonal space encoding as performing impact prediction. Straka, Z., Noel, J.-P., & Hoffmann, M. (2022). PLOS Computational Biology, 18(9), e1010464.

Putting perception into action with inverse optimal control for continuous psychophysics. Straub, D., & Rothkopf, C. A. (2022). eLife, 11, e76635.

Time encoding migrates from prefrontal cortex to dorsal striatum during learning of a self-timed response duration task. Tunes, G. C., Fermino de Oliveira, E., Vieira, E. U., Caetano, M. S., Cravo, A. M., & Bussotti Reyes, M. (2022). eLife, 11, e65495.

Interactions between attributions and beliefs at trial-by-trial level: Evidence from a novel computer game task. Zamfir, E., & Dayan, P. (2022). PLOS Computational Biology, 18(9), e1009920.

[earthling-wolf]

Pe Real-Time

Pe (extroverted perception) is a function that understands an object by its temporal immediacy, approaching it directly and experientially for what it is. Unlike other functions that approach objects through an interpretive framework or schema, Pe continuously registers the immediate truth of an object's existence and seeks to explore it curiously for its own sake without being limited by past preconceptions. Content that may emerge from this mental process includes music composition, performance arts, creative arts, improv comedy, and contemporary social commentary.

Thirst for Novelty

We receive from the explorer process the elation of new experiences like sunset watching, cave diving, dancing, ocean sailing, travel, and all sorts of fluid and rich activities. The explorer process wants to rediscover everything on its own. Viewing something in a book may not be enough since the greatest fulfillment comes from real-time witnessing of life. Pe has an insatiable hunger for what comes next and can grow bored and restless in an environment that offers little opportunities for experimentation. The explorer process seeks animation, and when a stagnant and textureless "present" yields no such properties, they venture elsewhere. However, "elsewhere" does not need to be a physical location, as Pe types will also have the highest curiosity for new concepts, ideas, theories, and interpretations of life. They may dabble with information structures, trying them on consecutively until finding their favorites. However, because this thirst is permanently embedded within Pe, it is not in its nature to ever be fully satisfied for long. They may eventually abandon their engagements to pursue new avenues and discover what has now entered global attention.

Plasticity

This gives Pe a contemporary focus, allowing it to be up-to-date and pivot quickly whenever necessary. It carries an enormous capacity for flexibility and improvisation. Being "too old for new tricks" is never the case for Pe due to its refresh factor, which metabolizes the world anew at each moment. Learning a new job, task, skill, language, or exercise is always plausible, and in the worst-case scenario, older abilities are forgotten with time. Pe can be unlimited, allowing people to reinvent themselves endlessly. However, this plasticity can also have an unsettling effect, especially when this continual reinvention causes a loss of personal identity. The rate at which Pe can adapt to reality may leave it wondering about its essence, what they most cherish, what career is best suited for them, and what kind of partner they want. They will be vulnerable to surrender to the transience of life, flowing with all its currents, only to wash ashore in a life they neither expected nor wanted. However, Pe also gives types the capacity to recover from hardships, maintain hope, and just keep swimming.

Sense of Humor

This function also generates a unique talent for humor, with Pe-leads being the most highly represented in comedy. Pe's situational awareness allows quick improvisational thinking, leading to success in anything from stand-up comedy to freestyle rap. A key focus of the Pe function is entertainment, both in what it gravitates to and what its activity creates. Above all else, Pe enjoys the experience of surprise and amusement, the euphoric stimulation of an engaging situation. Thus, Pe can provide a great deal of energy toward raising the laughter of the present, often using itself as a resource or prop. The class clown is a quintessential exemplar of Pe's comical energy, as is the court jester or joker. Because humor is generated by the sudden inversion of our perceptions and expectations, it constitutes a contagious novelty that Pe will thirst after in the same way it does for any other information. This humor habit often translates into a jolly, easygoing, and enthusiastic personality known for bringing a spark of light into the room.

Generative Ability

The essential role of Pe is the appreciation and introduction of new information into the world. It seeks that information out and participates in its renewed manifestation through a creative act. Pe is a creative function and is thus a key source of innovation and invention. The perpetual re-imagining of music, fashion, drama, art, and media owes its existence to Pe, which forever revitalizes society. The street performer, the traveling musician, the trinket maker, the aerosol artist, the breakdancer, the gypsy, and the like -- are all varied iterations of a broader Pe narrative that collectively transforms and defines modern culture. However, this generative ability also destabilizes the present societal structures. Pe's heavier aspect can lead to disarray, disorder, and chaos as a byproduct of the disassembly of previous boundaries. Pe will flirt with danger as it explores uncharted territories, as stepping outside of the known societal structures can lead to delinquency, escapism, and intoxication.

[maaarine]

Rethinking Consciousness: A Scientific Theory of Subjective Experience (Michael Graziano, 2019)

“Attention is not just a focus on one central object; it can be spread and divided.

If you think that you are conscious of something outside of your attention—that you are attending to A while also conscious of B, C, and D at the edges—that intuition is probably not correct; or at least, you are drawing on a colloquial definition of attention.

By the scientific definition, you are probably attending to all of these items to some degree or switching attention rapidly among them.

Colloquially, we may think of attention as a subset of consciousness, but scientifically, the relationship is entirely different.

Attention is a layered set of mechanisms—a data-handling method—whereas consciousness is an inner experience that we claim to have.

Attention is something the brain does; consciousness is something the brain says it has. (…)

He had no conscious vision outside that spared region. But when he was asked to point to the dot in his supposedly blind area, then seemingly miraculously, he could do it quite accurately.

He couldn’t consciously see it, but the visual information had gotten into his brain and could be used to guide his arm.

He could also distinguish basic visual features, such as whether he was looking at a horizontal line or a vertical line, without ever experiencing visual consciousness.

He said that he saw nothing, but simply knew what was in front of him with a high degree of confidence. The knowledge presented itself as cognitive certainty.

This strange phenomenon is called blindsight, and it is a consistent result of damage to the primary visual cortex. (…)

This experiment was a watershed moment in the study of consciousness.

It showed finally that the mechanisms of attention could exist even when the mechanisms of consciousness were broken.

Clearly, attention is not just a local concentration of consciousness. It is a different property. (…)

In the attention schema theory, the whole point of awareness is to give the brain a running account of attention.

Awareness therefore tracks attention closely, something like the body schema tracking the location of the arm.

The two come apart only when the system is put under stress, struggling at the threshold of its ability.”

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

I've known a few people now who have communicated to me in some way a version of "my name isn't capitalized, and if it is capitalized it's not my name"

It was pretty clear that this was something these folks were used to people having odd reactions to, but it's worth pointing out that it's a very similar point bell hooks makes in relationship to naming. You might notice that some folks will not capitalize hook's name even when they ARE being very formal about grammar (*because* they're being formal about it in fact)

Bell hooks named herself in honor of her grandmother, and in an effort to de-center the individual (herself) within the work (her ethnographic, political, analytical, and other writings)

https://bellhooksbooks.com/faq-items/why-did-bell-hooks-want-her-name-lowercase/

Bell hooks chose to style her name in lowercase letters to shift the focus from her identity to her ideas. Using lowercase, she intended to de-emphasize the importance of the individual behind the work and instead highlight the substance of her writings and theories. This stylistic choice reflects hooks’ commitment to a feminist perspective that prioritizes collective struggle over personal recognition. It’s a symbolic gesture that speaks to her broader critiques of systems of oppression and her advocacy for more equitable and communal forms of engagement and recognition. Through this choice, hooks sought to challenge traditional norms of authorship and authority, encouraging readers to engage more deeply with the content of her work rather than her persona as an author.

Often, the role of shifting into and out of formal, historically established, and functional grammatical usages in writing is to subtly influence the tone, implications, contextual relationships/hierarchies, and other experientials within the reading of the text.

Some of my more attentive followers may be familiar with my use of Proper Noun grammar to emphasize and center certain conceptual/descriptive naming conventions in my work, or with my use of hybridizing-language-in-the-anglo/germanic-style-to-unify-complexified-systems-of-meaning-making-into-a-single-word-schema (particularly in my conversations about relationship-with-self and body-mindwork)

Both are examples of either formal or historically established grammar conventions for writing (sort of like what I imagine people are trying to do these days with tone indicators) multiple layers or connotations of meaning into text. I'm also prone to functional versions of character text formatting such as *implying italics and/or bolds for emphasis with asterisks* or identifying a footnote* to read at the end of a sentence or paragraph.

*you read this later and it reinforced or added to the point being made in it's referential text!

Lots of these are common use in shorthand and thought records too, because it's often a version of visualized thinking progression* that can ease us back in and out of specific frames of mind, and keeping this style of notes during project work can make pauses WAY more bearable (or if you're like me it can also reduce the frequency of you screaming and bursting into tears when someone interrupts your focus after you spent hours trying to get into a flow state)

*remember OP's reference to the name of this kind of loose but functional grammar set up top? If you look back over the whole of my addition you'll see several aspects of this "stream of consciousness" style, esp if you keep in mind that I always use Tumblr on the app on my phone with a keyboard that auto-capitalizes the first word of a sentence, meaning that is the only capitalizes that is by default rather than Chosen and Intentional stylistically

Anyway the fun thing about language is that humans made it all up, and we are constantly adapting and adjusting it to fit our needs, so if you find a writing style that works for you and someone gets fussy about your grammar (and there aren't pre-determined grammar/presentation criteria and standards for the piece) you might as well just bite them honestly.

i don't use all lowercase and minimal punctuation because i'm lazy it's a stylistic choice. it's called "stream of consciousness" and it's actually a recognised and respected literary technique. you should feel privileged to bear witness to the development of my autobiographical epic in its raw unedited form.

[cult-of-the-girl-offensive]

Soviet Nationality Policy, A Source List Part 2 (Secondary Sources):

Disclaimer: this is a non-comprehensive list, and should be understood as a sampling of what people have written about on the topic for use by those interested in Soviet history. I am not a professional historian, and this is a resource meant for amateur historians interested in Soviet history. This list will be most effective if one is already familiar with more "constructivist" understandings of the nation-state.

As always, remember to read critically and with care with how authors are presenting their evidence. Bolded sources are ones I consider to be more important/foundational to the historiographical debate. Significant But Dated Secondary Sources:

The Great Retreat: The Growth and Decline of Communism in Russia (1946) by Nicholas Timasheff - one of the most influential books ever written about the Soviet Union, Timasheff's work still looms over the historiography of the Stalin era, and while his thesis of a conscious "Great Retreat" from Communism into Russian nationalism has not held up particularly well, he was one of the first scholars to seriously interrogate the relationship between Marxism-Leninism, the USSR, and Russian nationalism.

Russia and Her Colonies (1952) by Walter Kolarz

The Formation of the Soviet Union, Communism and Nationalism, 1917–1923 (1954) by Richard Pipes - Pipes is a name that should be familiar to anyone who has given the historiography of the USSR a cursory glance, and his first book was formative for the "standard" Cold War understanding of the Soviet relationship with nationalism. Pipes pays little attention to "national communists", does not consider why non-Russian populations might accept or even prefer Bolshevism to their national independence movement, and broadly speaking relies on well, a nationalist and primordialist view of nationalism and nationality. Still, this list would not be complete without his book.

Literary Policy in the Soviet Ukraine 1917-1934 (1956) by George S. N. Luckyj

The Soviet Middle East: A Model for Development? (1967) by Alec Nove and J.A. Newth

Lenin's Last Struggle (1968) by Moshe Lewin - Lewin takes the stance that Lenin and Stalin had significant differences in regards to "the national question" and that Lenin's "last struggle" was the doomed attempt to create a truly equal federation of nations instead of an "empire with autonomies". I don't agree with Lewin's argument, and I think he overstates the distance between the "Leninist" and "Stalinist" positions, but I would be remiss to not include his work given its influence.

Ethnic Minorities in the Soviet Union (1968), edited by Erich Goldhagen

The Nation Killers: The Soviet Deportation of Nationalities (1970) by Robert Conquest - The staunchly anticommunist Conquest focused his scholarship on the Soviet state's use of coercive force (in this case against national minorities). One can find more up to date and available books covering the deportations, but Conquest was one of the first to focus on them.

The Baku Commune 1917-1918: Class and Nationality in the Russian Revolution (1972) by Ronald Grigor Suny - Suny's work is one of the first to seriously consider the intersection of class and nationality within the Russian Revolution, and remains one of the few works I have seen that specifically addresses Azerbaijan during the Russian Revolution.

Jewish Nationality and Soviet Politics: The Jewish Sections of the CPSU, 1917-1930 (1972) by Zvi Y. Gitelman - While Gitelman is unabashed in treatment of Jewish culture and nationality as "primordial", his book was one of the first to apply the lens of "modernization theory" to Soviet nationality policy, asserting that the Soviets pursued a "nationalist revolution" until changes in state policy led to the dissolution of the Jewish Section. Also depicts how the Soviets struggled to fit Jewish people into their schema for national minorities and the resultant policy contradictions.

The Surrogate Proletariat: Moslem Women and Revolutionary Strategies in Soviet Central Asia, 1919-1929 (1974) by Gregory J. Massell - This is one of the first works to seriously engage with the Soviet Union's attempt to foster a social revolution in Central Asia, and to bring gender into national and class issues in the USSR. More recent works have addressed similar topics, but it remains a pioneering work nonetheless.

"The Dialectics of Nationalism in the USSR," (Problems of Communism, Vol. 23, no. 3, May-June 1974) by Teresa Rakowska-Harmstone - One of the first works in Sovietology to predict the upswing of nationalism in the USSR, and which created a minor renaissance of political science articles dealing with nationality in the USSR.

Muslim National Communism in the Soviet Union: A Revolutionary Strategy for the Colonial World (1980) by Alexandre A. Bennigsen and S. Enders Wimbush

The Neo-Stalinist State: Class, Ethnicity and Consensus in Soviet Society (1982) by Victor Zaslavsky

Ethnic Relations in the USSR: The Perspective from Below (1986) by Rasma Karklins

The Harvest of Sorrow (1986) by Robert Conquest - for all that I disagree with Conquest's conclusions and think that his theses owe more to political expediency and national mythmaking than clear-sighted history, I cannot deny the influence Harvest of Sorrow has had on discussions of the Soviet Union and its policies towards national minorities.

The Nationality Factor in Soviet Society and Politics: Current Trends and Future Prospects (1989), edited by Mark Beissinger and Lubko Hajd

Post-Soviet Secondary Sources:

The Revenge of the Past: Nationalism, Revolution, and the Collapse of the Soviet Union (1993) by Ronald Grigor Suny - One of the first works to apply more recent "constructivist" theories of the nation-state to a study of the USSR, and released only two years after the collapse of the USSR.

Artic Mirrors: Russia and the Small Peoples of the North (1994) by Yuri Slezkine

"The USSR as a Communal Apartment, or How a Socialist State Promoted Ethnic Particularism" (Slavic Review, Vol. 53, no. 2, Summer 1994) by Yuri Slezkine - quite possibly the most cited article on Soviet nationality policy I have ever seen, and the basis for much of more recent scholarship on the topic.

The Geography of Nationalism in Russia and the USSR (1994) by Robert J. Kaiser

Minorities, Mullahs, and Modernity: Reshaping Community in the Former Soviet Union (1997) by Mark Saroyan, edited by Edward W. Walker

"The Origins of Soviet Ethnic Cleansing," (The Journal of Modern History, Vol. 70, no. 4, December 1998) by Terry Martin

The Bolsheviks and the National Question, 1917-23 (1999) by Jeremy Smith

A State of Nations: Empire and Nation-Making in the Age of Lenin and Stalin (2001), edited by Ronald Grigor Suny and Terry Martin

The Affirmative Action Empire: Nations and Nationalism in the Soviet Union 1923-1939 (2001) by Terry Martin - One of the best single monographs on Soviet nationality policy during the Stalin era. Martin contends that the Soviet Union originated as an "Affirmative Action Empire" in which loyalty to the metropole was coupled with affirmative action policies for dedicated "national minorities" and the suppression of Great Russian nationalism. Over the course of the Stalin years, theoretical purity would be challenged by the realities of the "national question" and internal political struggles, ultimately culminating in an unspoken shift to a new model, the "Friendship of Peoples"

Islam and Colonialism: Western Perspectives on Soviet Asia (2002) by Will Myer

National Bolshevism: Stalinist Mass Culture and the Formation of Modern Russian National Identity, 1931-1956 (2002) by David Brandenberger - Applies the "constructivist" lens to Russian national identity and makes the argument that contrary to the claims of primordialists, modern Russian nationalism and national identity was born during the Stalin era and the crucible of the Great Patriotic War.

The Establishment of National Republics in Soviet Central Asia (2003) by Arne Haugen

Tribal Nation: The Making of Soviet Turkmenistan (2004) by Adrienne Lynn Edgar

New Soviet Gypsies Nationality, Performance, and Selfhood in the Early Soviet Union (2013) by Brigid O'Keeffe

Breaking the Tongue: Language, Education, and Power in Soviet Ukraine, 1923–1934 (2014) by Matthew D. Pauly

Soviet Nation-Building in Central Asia: The making of the Kazakh and Uzbek Nations (2016) by Grigol Ubiria

Georgia after Stalin: Nationalism and Soviet power (2016), edited by Jeremy Smith and Timothy K. Blauvelt

Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine (2017) by Anne Applebaum - As much as I would like to leave this off the the list due to my personal dislike of the author, it is undoubtedly the book on this list someone is most likely to have read, and the one with the greatest penetration and reach. Its impact on public and even academic discourse around the USSR and Ukraine has been immense and I cannot in good conscience leave it off this list.

The Near Abroad: Socialist Eastern Europe and Soviet Patriotism in Ukraine, 1956−1985 (2017) by Zbigniew Wojnowski

The Hungry Steppe: Famine, Violence, and the Making of Soviet Kazakhstan (2018) by Sarah Cameron

Stalin's Nomads: Power and Famine in Kazakhstan (2018) by Robert Kindler (trans. Cynthia Klohr)

Nomads Under Soviet Rule: Central Asia under Lenin and Stalin (2018) by Alun Thomas

Making Ukraine Soviet: Literature and Cultural Politics under Lenin and Stalin (2021) by Olena Palko

The Path To a Soviet Nation: The Policy of Belarusization (2021) by Alena Markova

Clientelism and Nationality in an Early Soviet Fiefdom: The Trials of Nestor Lakoba (2021) by Timothy K. Blauvelt

Intermarriage and the Friendship of Peoples: Ethnic Mixing in Soviet Central Asia (2022) by Adrienne Edgar

[devoqdesign]

Cognitive Load Theory in Practice: Designing Interfaces That Reduce Mental Strain

In the fast-paced digital world, user interface (UI) design plays a crucial role in determining the success of any application or website. One of the key factors that contribute to effective UI design is the consideration of cognitive load – the amount of mental effort required to process information. By understanding and applying Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) in practice, designers can create interfaces that reduce mental strain, enhance user experience, and improve overall usability.

Understanding Cognitive Load Theory

Cognitive Load Theory, first proposed by John Sweller in the 1980s, is an instructional theory based on our knowledge of human cognitive architecture. It suggests that our working memory has limited capacity when dealing with new information. The theory identifies three types of cognitive load:

Intrinsic load: The inherent difficulty of the task or information being processed.

Extraneous load: The unnecessary cognitive burden caused by poor design or presentation of information.

Germane load: The cognitive resources devoted to processing, constructing, and automating schemas (mental models).

The goal of applying CLT in interface design is to minimize extraneous load, manage intrinsic load, and optimize germane load to facilitate learning and task completion.

Practical Applications of CLT in Interface Design

1. Simplify and Declutter

One of the most effective ways to reduce cognitive load is by simplifying the interface and removing unnecessary elements. This approach helps to minimize extraneous load and allows users to focus on the essential information and tasks.

Use white space effectively to create visual breathing room.

Implement a clear visual hierarchy to guide users' attention.

Remove redundant information and decorative elements that don't serve a functional purpose.

2. Chunk Information

Breaking down complex information into smaller, manageable chunks can significantly reduce cognitive load. This technique helps manage intrinsic load by presenting information in a more digestible format.

Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to organize content.

Group related items together using visual cues like proximity and similarity.

Implement progressive disclosure to reveal information gradually as needed.

3. Utilize Familiarity and Conventions

Leveraging users' existing knowledge and mental models can reduce cognitive load by minimizing the need to learn new concepts or interaction patterns.

Use familiar icons and symbols that align with widely accepted conventions.

Follow established design patterns for common interface elements (e.g., navigation menus, form layouts).

Maintain consistency in design elements and interactions throughout the interface.

4. Provide Clear Feedback and Guidance

Offering timely and relevant feedback helps users understand the results of their actions and reduces uncertainty, thereby lowering cognitive load.

Use visual cues (e.g., hover effects, animations) to indicate interactive elements.

Provide clear error messages and suggestions for correction.

Implement progress indicators for multi-step processes or loading times.

5. Optimize for Recognition Over Recall

Designing interfaces that rely on recognition rather than recall can significantly reduce cognitive load. This approach minimizes the need for users to remember information from one screen to another.

Use descriptive labels and icons for navigation and actions.

Implement autocomplete and suggestion features in search and input fields.

Provide visual cues or thumbnails to help users recognize content or options.

6. Maintain Consistency

Consistency in design elements, interactions, and terminology across the interface helps users build accurate mental models, reducing the cognitive effort required to navigate and use the system.

Use a consistent color scheme, typography, and visual style throughout the interface.

Maintain consistent placement of recurring elements (e.g., navigation, search, user controls).

Use consistent terminology and labeling for similar actions or concepts.

7. Implement Efficient Navigation

Well-designed navigation systems can significantly reduce cognitive load by helping users understand their current location and how to reach their desired destination within the interface.

Use clear and descriptive labels for navigation items.

Implement breadcrumbs for complex hierarchical structures.

Provide search functionality and filters to help users find information quickly.

8. Optimize for Different User Types

Recognizing that users have varying levels of expertise and familiarity with your interface, design with flexibility to accommodate different cognitive loads.

Offer customizable interfaces or user-selectable complexity levels.

Provide onboarding tutorials or guided tours for new users.

Implement shortcuts or advanced features for experienced users.

9. Use Visuals Effectively

Visual elements, when used judiciously, can help reduce cognitive load by conveying information more efficiently than text alone.

Use icons, illustrations, or infographics to represent complex concepts.

Implement data visualization techniques to make large datasets more comprehensible.

Use color coding to categorize or highlight important information.

10. Conduct User Testing and Iterate

Regular user testing is crucial to identify areas of high cognitive load and opportunities for improvement.

Conduct usability tests to observe how users interact with the interface.

Use eye-tracking studies to understand visual attention patterns.

Collect and analyze user feedback to identify pain points and areas of confusion.

Conclusion

Applying Cognitive Load Theory in interface design is not about creating overly simplistic or feature-poor interfaces. Instead, it's about thoughtfully managing the mental resources required to interact with a system. By minimizing extraneous load, managing intrinsic load, and optimizing germane load, designers can create interfaces that are not only easier to use but also more effective in helping users achieve their goals.

Remember that reducing cognitive load is an ongoing process that requires continuous evaluation and refinement. As user needs evolve and new technologies emerge, designers must stay adaptable and continue to apply CLT principles to create interfaces that truly enhance the user experience.

By prioritizing cognitive load reduction in your design process, you can create interfaces that feel intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable to use. This approach not only benefits users by reducing mental strain but also contributes to the overall success of your digital product by improving user satisfaction, engagement, and task completion rates.

Devoq Design is a leading UI/UX design agency in Nevada and UI/UX design agency in New Hampshire, known for crafting visually stunning and highly functional digital experiences. Their team specializes in delivering tailored design solutions that prioritize user interaction and engagement. By combining creativity with technical expertise, Devoq Design helps businesses in Nevada and New Hampshire build intuitive interfaces that enhance customer satisfaction and drive results. Whether for websites, apps, or digital platforms, their solutions are designed to meet the evolving needs of businesses and their users.

[hassountheseventh]

What, then, is ‘New’ about this dialectic? What is implicitly referred to here as the ‘Old Dialectic’ is the Soviet school of ‘Diamat’, rooted in a vulgarized version of the ideas of F. Engels and G. Plekhanov. It was presented as a universal ‘world outlook’ and universal method.  Engels was especially influential in drawing attention to the importance of dialectic and in elaborating his own version of it. He put forward ‘three laws’ of dialectic: namely quantity into quality, interpenetration of opposites, and the negation of the negation. Engels proceeded by applying these abstract schemas adventitiously to contents arbitrarily forced into the required shape. The result consisted of a set of examples and it lacked systematicity. But if it turns out that Marx’s Capital has a systematic dialectical exposition, this should not be because it applies abstract universal formulae, but because the movement of the material itself requires it. Systematic dialectic draws on Hegel’s work. This interest in Hegel is unconcerned with recovering the grand narrative of Hegel’s philosophy of history and relating it to historical materialism; rather it is focused on Hegel’s Logic and how this fits the method of Marx’s Capital. The effort is to deploy a systematic dialectic in order to articulate the relations of a given social order, namely capitalism, as opposed to a historical dialectic studying the rise and fall of social systems. Now, where the interpretation of Marx’s Capital is concerned, I also draw upon a relatively new tendency in Marxian theory, which emphasizes Marx’s notion of the ‘value-form’. It is the peculiar form of commodity-exchange that is theorised as the prime determinant of the economy rather than the content regulated by it. The developed form of value (commodity, money, capital) is the characteristic social form of present economic relations. Hegel is a natural reference for value-form theory because his logic of categories is well suited to a theory of forms.  Moreover Hegel’s systematic development of categories is directed towards articulating the structure of a totality, showing how it supports itself in and through the interchanges of its inner moments. This presupposes that the totality is structured by internal relations; by definition so in the case of a logic of course. But I argue capital is just such a totality. As we know Marx acknowledged the influence of Hegel’s Logic on his work. Some, such as Althusser, dismiss this influence as merely stylistic, picking on a phrase where Marx said he flirted with modes of expression peculiar to Hegel. But I think it is worth taking the relevance of Hegel seriously. My original research project was to see if I could show this textually. However I concluded that this was not easy to do because I do not think Marx himself understood why he found his arguments relying on Hegelian figures. So my current ambition is to reconstruct Marx’s work in the spirit of a systematic dialectical logic.

Chris Arthur

[binaural-histolog]

Alexithymia and Hypnosis

Last post on cognitive construction was interesting, so I've been exploring it more.

One of the interesting things about the emotional construction theory is that it's instinctive and automatic. Typically, people don't analyze and think through emotions. Instead, they are immediately seen and recognized in the same way as words are immediately seen and recognized. Likewise, we like to think that we can immediately see and recognize the emotions of others.

But this doesn't apply to everyone. Roughly 10% of the general population has alexithymia, an inability to recognize (or construct) emotions in themselves or others. These people do experience feelings, but cannot provide a label for these feelings. If they do bring up feelings, it may be in the form of physical sensations "good but a little queasy" or "very bad about to throw up" or a very long description of all the events and actions leading up to that point.

The attention-appraisal model of alexithymia provides some understanding of what is happening. In many models of alexithymia, there are the same three components present.

Difficulty identifying feelings in the self (DIF)

Difficulty describing feelings (DDF)

Externally oriented thinking (EOT)

This attention-appraisal model builds on work in emotional regulation through valuation systems, by processing feelings through a four stage situation-attention-appraisal-response sequence. In other words, a snake in the room (situation) leads to looking at the snake (attention) leads to the idea of "snake in the room is bad" (appraisal) and finally fear (emotional response). The emotional response can then be the focus of valuation, leading to questions like "do I like being afraid?" and "what's the best thing to do to reduce fear?" leading to action (running away from the snake). This action is emotional regulation, the activation of a goal to modify an unfolding emotional response.

The attention-appraisal model conceptualizes DIF, DDF, and EOT as problems in the second stage of valuation system. EOT is a difficulty in paying attention to an emotional response. Likewise, DIF and DDF are problems of appraisal, where the individual is aware of an emotional response, but doesn't know what it is or what it means. Without an understanding of what they are feeling, the individual cannot appropriately decide on action and cannot self-regulate their emotions.

The underlying cause of DIF and DDF is theorized to be a lack of development in emotion schemas, the cognitive structures that guide the processing of emotions. However, this does not explain why alexithymia often increases during periods of distress. The model theorizes that some difficulties may be caused by avoidance alexithymia, a regulation strategy that effectively deals with unwanted emotions by not dealing with it at all, using EOT to disassociate.

Alexithymia is very common in people with autism, with a comorbidity somewhere between 50% to 85%. Many of the problems involved in autism are directly related to the inability to self-regulate and may not be directly related to autism at all. This makes more sense when looking at how people develop emotion schemas. Children do not self-regulate, but have their parents provide feedback and regulation. This interaction breaks down between neurotypical parents and autistic children because autistic children do not display affect, and do not react to stimuli in the same way. With limited or weak verbal representations of emotions, they cannot verbally elaborate their feelings or communicate them to others, and cannot develop appropriate emotion schemas and lexicon.

So how does this relate to hypnosis?

Well, it turns out that hypnosis can be an effective intervention for reducing alexithymia. Effectiveness of an hypnotic imagery intervention on reducing alexithymia took participants through an 8-session training program and found that hypnosis was an effective intervention.

We chose an indirect procedure using neither direct nor posthypnotic suggestions able to elicit the production of emotions for two reasons: as alexithymic people tend to avoid confronting their emotions, direct suggestions could have led to anxiety and to a defensive reaction. The second reason is that we wanted them to mobilize personal resources (Erickson and Rossi, 1981). Thus, the activation of personal knowledge and procedural memory in the participants should lead to a better response to the therapy. We then suggested that they feel different emotions while telling them ‘fairy tales’. These are of particular interest as our population is likely to be more involved in the training and to experience an age regression when given the opportunity to listen to old stories from their childhood, as these evoke difficult situations and/or traumas, as well as violent and negative emotions that the participants could have experienced in their life without having to directly confront them. Each participant listened to eight fairy tales, presented in the same order. Each script presents a well-known fairy tale involving a traumatic situation (e.g. abandonment in Hansel and Gretel, death wishes from a parent in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Sleeping Beauty, incest in Donkey Skin), and a large range of negative feelings connected with the traumatic situations. However, we introduced a change in the mental state of the main character of the fairy tale, and proposed a reframing of the situation and/or original solutions. For example, the necessity of leaving the parents’ house in order to become an adult in Hansel and Gretel; direct expression of negative feelings and refusal in Donkey Skin instead of taking flight; and the possibility to survive the assault of a parent in Sleeping Beauty and to pursue his/her own development in a positive way. Because we do not have any preconception on the cause(s) of alexithymia, nor of how to ameliorate it, we decided to activate different targets: traumatic events and negative feelings connected with the situations, and we proposed different solutions based on the expression of emotions and self-assertiveness.

This technique can be used generally in recreational hypnosis: if you want to elicit emotions in people with alexithymia, describe a situation that they can recognize already and build up the link to the emotion.

[mapoyaj]

my constructivist teaching path 🌟📚

I've been teaching for the past eight years, and with each passing year, I've discovered more about my identity as a teacher.

When you begin teaching, it's like you're starting to uncover who you are as a person. It's a challenging journey, finding your identity as a teacher. But as I reflected on who I was and who I am now, one thing became clear – I am a Constructivist.

This revelation hit me during a workshop on design thinking. It was eye-opening, showing me how learning can be both fun and fulfilling. The workshop emphasized that students can construct their knowledge through designing schemas, and it was then that I realized I had been employing constructivist activities since I started teaching.

Let me share my story:

When I began teaching, I was a substitute advisor for Grade 6 students at a private school. There, I learned that the best way to capture students' attention was to engage them. For those three months, I made sure to include motivational activities like quiz bees, group work, and drawing activities.

After three months as a substitute teacher, I was offered a full-time senior high school teaching position and a part-time college instructor role. I carried the lessons from my first few months into these new roles. To my delight, the older students enjoyed the activity-based approach too. I adapted by incorporating stories and humor to keep them engaged, emphasizing empathy and connection in my teaching. I encouraged my students to explore topics beyond the classroom, stressing that true learning happens through discovery, not just instruction.

As I asked probing questions to start discussions, I witnessed students learning from each other while I guided the conversation. This approach made learning a shared journey, enriched by diverse perspectives.

A year later, I moved on to a full-time senior high school teaching position at a private university in Metro Manila. Here, I delved deeper into constructivism, embracing a student-centered approach. Initially, I wasn't fully aware of how my teaching strategies fit into this framework, but I soon realized the essence of what I was doing. I extended lessons to real-life situations, making learning more meaningful for my students.

Last year, I began having my students evaluate my teaching methods, gaining valuable insights into their needs and how I could better support them. This feedback loop has been crucial for my growth as a teacher.

Then came the design thinking workshop. It solidified that everything I'd been doing was rooted in constructivism. The workshop further refined my skills, though it also highlighted an area for improvement – balancing content and activities.

While I deeply support constructivist theory, I'm also open to learning and incorporating other educational theories. I eagerly anticipate what the future holds as I continue to grow and evolve in my teaching practice.

[dssd-11dm]

Your Path to SEO Excellence Starts Here in Rohini

In the heart of Rohini, where the energy of urban life intertwines with the aspirations of budding entrepreneurs and digital enthusiasts, lies a beacon of opportunity – our SEO course. Nestled on the 1st Floor, H-34/1, near Ayodhya Chowk, Sector 3, Rohini, Delhi, 110085, this course is not just a program; it's a transformative journey toward mastering the intricacies of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In this article, we'll explore why SEO is pivotal in Rohini's digital landscape, the unique features of our course, and how it can pave the way for your success in the digital realm.

Why SEO is Imperative in Rohini

In the bustling metropolis of Rohini, where businesses vie for attention amidst a sea of competition, visibility is the currency of success. Here's why mastering SEO is not just an option but a necessity in Rohini:

Enhanced Visibility: In a digital era dominated by search engines, ranking high on search engine results pages (SERPs) translates to increased visibility and brand exposure, crucial for businesses in Rohini seeking to reach their target audience.

Competitive Edge: With SEO, businesses in Rohini can gain a competitive edge by outranking competitors, attracting more organic traffic, and fostering brand credibility and trust among their audience.

Local Relevance: In a locality as diverse and dynamic as Rohini, local SEO plays a pivotal role in connecting businesses with their target audience. Optimizing for local search ensures that businesses appear prominently in local search results, driving foot traffic and engagement.

Cost-Effective Marketing: Unlike traditional marketing channels, SEO offers a cost-effective means of marketing with long-term benefits. For businesses in Rohini, investing in SEO yields high returns on investment (ROI) without incurring exorbitant costs.

Exploring Our SEO Course in Rohini

Our SEO course in Rohini is not just another run-of-the-mill program; it's a comprehensive journey toward digital mastery. Here's what sets our course apart:

Expert Guidance: Learn from seasoned industry experts who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom. Our instructors are dedicated to your success, providing personalized guidance and support every step of the way.

Holistic Curriculum: Our course covers the entire spectrum of SEO, from fundamental principles to advanced strategies, ensuring that you acquire a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Practical Learning: Theory meets practice in our SEO course, where you'll engage in hands-on exercises, real-world projects, and simulations that mirror industry scenarios, enabling you to apply your learning in real-time.

Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded individuals, industry professionals, and guest speakers through networking events, workshops, and seminars, expanding your professional network and fostering collaboration and learning.

Certification: Upon successful completion of our SEO course, you'll receive a prestigious certification that validates your expertise and credentials, enhancing your employability and credibility in Rohini's digital landscape.

What You'll Learn in Our SEO Course

Our SEO course in Rohini encompasses a diverse range of topics, equipping you with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in SEO. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:

SEO Fundamentals: Gain a solid understanding of SEO fundamentals, including search engine algorithms, keyword research, on-page optimization, and off-page optimization.

Technical SEO: Dive into the technical aspects of SEO, such as website architecture, site speed optimization, mobile responsiveness, and schema markup, ensuring that your website meets search engine standards for optimal performance.

Content Optimization: Explore the role of content in SEO, learning how to create compelling, SEO-friendly content that resonates with your audience and drives engagement and conversions.

Link Building Strategies: Master the art of link building, acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable sources to enhance your website's authority, credibility, and search engine rankings.

Local SEO Tactics: Understand the nuances of local SEO, optimizing your website for local search queries, managing Google My Business listings, and leveraging local citations and reviews to boost your visibility in Rohini and surrounding areas.

SEO Analytics and Reporting: Learn how to track, analyze, and interpret SEO metrics using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console, gaining valuable insights into your website's performance and user behavior.

Enroll Today and Unlock Your Digital Potential

Your journey toward digital mastery begins with our SEO course in Rohini. Located conveniently at 1st Floor, H-34/1, near Ayodhya Chowk, Sector 3, Rohini, Delhi, 110085, our institute serves as the epicenter of digital learning and innovation in Rohini. Don't miss this opportunity to unlock your digital potential and embark on a transformative journey toward success in the digital realm.

For enrollment inquiries and more information, contact us at [Contact Information]. Join us today and pave the way for your success in Rohini's vibrant digital landscape

Unlock the secrets of digital marketing Course in Rohini with our specialized course. Gain practical skills and industry insights to excel in the dynamic digital landscape. Join us to kickstart your career journey with confidence. Enroll now and unleash your potential in digital marketing!

[maxlearnmicrolearningplatform]

Applying Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction to Microlearning: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction:

Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction is a widely recognized instructional design framework that outlines the essential steps for effective learning experiences. As the landscape of education and training evolves, the integration of Gagné’s principles into microlearning has become increasingly relevant. This post explores how Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction can be applied to microlearning, enhancing learning outcomes and driving engagement.

Gain Attention:

The first event in Gagné’s framework is to capture learners’ attention and stimulate their interest in the topic. In microlearning, this can be achieved through attention-grabbing titles, intriguing visuals, or interactive elements. By presenting learners with a compelling hook, microlearning modules can pique their curiosity and encourage active engagement from the outset.

Inform Learners of the Objective:

Once attention is gained, learners need to understand the learning objectives and what they are expected to achieve. In microlearning, clear and concise objectives are essential to guide learners’ focus and inform their expectations. By stating the learning objectives upfront, microlearning modules establish a clear direction for learners and align their efforts with desired outcomes.

Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning:

Building on learners’ existing knowledge and experiences is crucial for effective learning. In microlearning, brief review exercises or quizzes can help stimulate recall of prior learning and activate relevant mental schemas. By connecting new information to what learners already know, microlearning fosters deeper understanding and facilitates knowledge retention.

Present the Content:

The core of microlearning involves delivering the instructional content in bite-sized chunks. Each microlearning module should focus on a specific concept or skill, presented in a concise and accessible format. Whether through videos, infographics, or interactive scenarios, microlearning content should be engaging, relevant, and easy to digest.

Provide Guidance:

In microlearning, learners may require guidance on how to apply the newly acquired knowledge or skills. This event involves providing learners with clear instructions, examples, or demonstrations to facilitate understanding and application. By offering guidance within microlearning modules, learners can bridge the gap between theory and practice, enhancing their ability to transfer learning to real-world situations.

Elicit Performance:

The next step is to provide learners with opportunities to practice and apply what they have learned. In microlearning, interactive exercises, simulations, or case studies can be used to elicit performance and assess mastery of the content. By engaging in hands-on activities within microlearning modules, learners can reinforce their learning and develop proficiency in targeted skills.

Provide Feedback:

Feedback is essential for guiding learners’ progress and reinforcing desired behaviors. In microlearning, immediate and personalized feedback can be delivered through interactive assessments or branching scenarios. By providing constructive feedback within microlearning modules, learners can identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to their learning approach.

Assess Performance:

Assessing learners’ performance allows for ongoing evaluation and adjustment of the learning process. In microlearning, formative assessments or knowledge checks can be embedded throughout the content to gauge learners’ understanding and retention. By assessing performance within microlearning modules, instructors can identify learning gaps and tailor subsequent instruction to meet learners’ needs.

Enhance Retention and Transfer:

The final event focuses on promoting long-term retention and transfer of learning to real-world contexts. In microlearning, spaced repetition techniques or summary modules can be used to reinforce key concepts and facilitate transfer of learning. By revisiting and reinforcing key ideas within microlearning modules, learners can solidify their understanding and apply their knowledge in diverse settings.

Conclusion:

By applying Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction to microlearning, organizations can create highly effective and engaging learning experiences. Whether capturing learners’ attention, presenting content, or providing feedback, each event plays a crucial role in shaping the overall learning journey. By leveraging microlearning as a vehicle for instructional design, organizations can maximize learning outcomes and empower learners to achieve their full potential.