BrainCogs is a research-based learning program for students to develop life-long strategies for successful test taking. Created by the Research Institute for Learning and Development, this interactive application was created in ways that are sensitive to the special challenges faced in assessing students who find written evaluation either difficult or impossible.

In this innovative CD-ROM, students learn to draw upon their own natural skills and thought processes. The strategies are taught in the context of real-life situations, and can be adapted to any subject or situation that a student may face.

These strategies are grouped according to cognitive processes, which we call brain "cogs". Students are first introduced to the concepts, and can go through the detailed information at their own pace, reading text or having it read aloud to them. This is followed by activities that allow students to practice what they just learned, and to reinforce the concepts in a fun, engaging way. There are also short animated movies that help explain the concepts.

Students answer questions that test both their knowledge and their preference of the strategies. They can print out a certificate after completing the program that shows which strategies worked best for them and also which ones they said they liked the best.

An administration tool on the CD allows teachers to access student log-in information and follow the progress of students, to see how well they performed on the activities.

back to top

5 Cogs & 13 Strategies:

The five "cogs" contain all the lessons and activities in the CD-ROM. Students are required to go through the cogs in a certain order the first time through the program, because the content builds upon and references previously presented material.

Each cog begins with an animated movie based on the experience of real students. These movies were written and created to engage students to want to click further and learn the strategies. At the conclusion of each of these five movies, there is a menu of the strategies students can use to tune up that cog. They can go through these strategies in any order, but should go through them all to see which ones work best for them. There are 13 total strategies taught within the program, grouped according to the different cogs.

Here are the five cogs, and their associated strategies for studying and test-taking.

Crazy phrases - make up a wacky sentence to help remember names, places, or events in a specific order. Acronyms - a real or nonsense word where each letter in the word is the first letter of something you’re trying to remember. Cartoons - a picture you draw that helps you remember key information

Strategy cards - an index card with a question and a strategy for remembering the answer on one side, and the answer on the other. Triple Note Tote - a chart to use for taking notes from a textbook. Mapping & Webbing - a visual way to organize main ideas and supporting details.

1-2-3 Blastoff! - helps you relax, read carefully and begin a test. Red Flag - a mark to make on a test next to any question that’s too hard to answer right away. ANN E. BOA - an acronym to help find seven tricky words on tests.

Shifty Words - see more than one meaning in a word by shifting the accent or making nouns into verbs and vice versa. Shifty Images - find the meaning of a word by looking for clues in the surrounding word

Your Personal Checklist - make a list of the usual mistakes you tend to make on a test. RE-view - how to change your focus at the end of a test so checking your answers is more successful.

back to top

The Cast: The Rotten Green Peppers

The Rotten Green Peppers are the "tourguides" through the program (along with a BrainCogs expert.) They are a slightly dysfunctional rock band, with the same problems standing in their way to success as the ones students face in school. They are disorganized, can’t prioritize things, forget to check details, among other things.

One band member is featured in each cog. That musician follows the student throughout the lessons and activities of that section, learning the same strategies at the same time.

As the band learns to apply BrainCog skills to their own lives, they experience career success in the way of better venues for their music. After completing each cog, the student will get an on-screen concert ticket, and will be able to view a short performance by the Rotten Green Peppers. The song the band sings at the end of each cog is related to the strategies and the lessons of that particular section.

back to top

Lessons & Activities:

Each strategy begins with:

1. WHAT: a definition of the strategy

2. WHEN: a statement about when that strategy is most helpful

3. HOW: an explanation of how to use the strategy.

The explanation unfolds as the voice-only narrator leads a dialogue with a band member, which turns into a story about how useful this strategy could be. The band member represents a model for the student user and asks questions, slowly understanding the specific steps for using the strategy. Reading articles, letters, emails, or journals is important as the story unfolds.

(Teacher Tip: You can act as a "cognitive coach" for your students, using this program. The band members model metacognition skills to the student users, and you can use the narrator’s approach to help foster these skills in your students.)

These stories center around days in the life of the Rotten Green Peppers band. Students are then asked to answer questions based on these stories, through a series of interactive activities. BrainCogs provides help for every activity in the form of a character called "The Memory Jogger" for those students who want it. The program also provides feedback for each activity.

After students have practiced using the strategy within the world of the band, the narrator walks students through an explanation of how this strategy can be used in the context of school work. Students are asked to read material - or have it read to them - to reveal the academic content. The subject matter includes geography, science, history, and vocabulary.

This school content is then reinforced with interactive activities, giving students a chance to practice using each strategy. These activities are a combination of fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, true false, and drag and drop questions. Help and feedback are available.

Each strategy ends with a review screen called "Use It or Lose It" where the band member provides a summary of how they intend to use the strategy.

(Teacher Tip: You might want to encourage your students to share their ideas for using each strategy, both at home and in school. This type of discussion will personalize the approach to learning and studying for your students.)

back to top

Administration Tool:

BrainCogs includes a teacher administration tool that shows the password and screen name plus the progress and practice results for each student. It also allows teachers to see how students are progressing throughout the program, and which strategies they are doing well in.

Cogs & Strategies | The Cast | Lessons & Activities | Administration Tool