Oxford Brookes UniversityAttention: a prerequisite for learning
Wednesday 04 March 2009, 18:00 to 19:30, Lloyd Lecture Theatre
Sir Christopher Ball
Arguably, the teacher's first duty is to 'keep the learner on task' - engender attention. Learning failure is usually caused (or at least accompanied) by lack of attention. Teachers often distinguish three kinds of attention-deficit, pathological, poor concentration and boredom, though there may be no clear boundaries between them.
This lecture will explore the concept of attention, attempt to describe the varieties of attention-deficit and suggest some strategies available to learners and teachers to strengthen and sustain attention. The challenge as the lecturer sees it will be to retain the attention of the audience!
Sir Christopher Ball is a leading thinker on educational policy and was knighted for his services to education. He has close links to the Westminster Institute of Education and is an Honorary Fellow of Brookes.
