St. Bonaventure University provides a variety of services, resources and programs to support students’ needs. Each program is geared to help students succeed in their own ways. One of the newest, yet scarcely advertised resources is the Center for Attention, Learning and Memory, or CALM. The center is located in De La Roche 118 and is open to any student, faculty and staff questions during the day.
CALM was brought to fruition by co-directors Dr. Althea N. Kaminske, a cognitive psychologist and assistant professor of psychology, and Dr. Adam Brown, an educational psychologist and associate professor of education. The start of the center took place in the summer of 2017, with the unique goal of bringing together the two disciplines of cognitive and educational psychology which often have overlapping interests.
Kaminske said, “It’s shockingly rare for an educational psychologist and a cognitive psychologist to work together. Even though our two fields have incredibly similar research interests, traditionally there isn’t much communication between the two.”
The goal of CALM is to rectify that divide and provide a resource for students, faculty and staff alike. Brown, Kaminske, student assistant airectors Michelle Onofrio and Soquania Henry, and nine student research assistants conduct research and organize workshops for different groups on campus. For example, Kaminske and Brown offered presentations for the men’s and women’s rugby teams.
The goals of the center are to:
1. Centralize research from across campus in the areas of attention and learning at St. Bonaventure University.
2. Increase communication among individuals, departments and schools as it pertains to attention and learning.
3. Promote interdisciplinary research to better connect disparate fields of study.
4. Increase awareness of the importance of attention and learning and related fields to St. Bonaventure.
5. Promote student/faculty collaboration on projects related to attention, memory and learning.
6. To serve as an example to outside constituents of St. Bonaventure’s commitment to the study of attention, memory and learning.
Brown and Kaminske want to help students achieve success by providing guidance for efficient studying habits supported by recent research.
“Students are expected to study efficiently, but are given little guidance on how to go about it. Too often, good students are left to struggle on their own to find what ‘works best for them,’” Kaminske said. “Our goal is to communicate some of the research on attention, learning and memory to give students some practical, evidence-based guidelines on how to study. To take the guess work and the stress out of how to succeed in college.”
A few tips students can start with are to turn off cell phones, quiz early in the process and quiz often. Another option, in addition to stopping by CALM, is to read the book published by Brown and Kaminske, “Five Teaching and Learning Myths Debunked,” which provides information relevant to both teachers and students.
By Faith Topolski, Staff Writer
topolsfl17@bonaventure.edu
