Why We're Smarter - role of nature and nurture according to Psychological Review article,New York University, Jones International University e-learning courses - Brief Article

Training & Development, August, 2001 by Eva Kaplan-Leiserson

The classic question of nature versus nurture has been resolved--or so it seems from a recent article in Psychological Review, published by the American Psychological Association.

For decades, scientists have pondered the question of whether environment or genetics is the crucial factor in explaining differences between people such as intelligence.

Some said environment plays the bigger part; others said genes do. But no one offered a definitive answer.

Evidence from IQ studies seemed to conflict: Twins separated at birth retain similar IQs, suggesting that environment plays only a minimal role. However, IQ scores measured over time indicate that younger generations are outscoring older ones by nine to 20 points. That discovery would seem to suggest that environment is a powerful factor. Thus, a paradox has existed since researcher James Flynn discovered the IQ rise in younger generations, now called the Flynn effect, in 1987.

But the paradox may exist no more. In their Psychological Review article, Flynn and William Dickens, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, explain that it's not nature or nurture that determines our intelligence, but nature and nurture. In other words, both genes and environment play a role in shaping our cognitive abilities, and the roles of both are closely intertwined. Genetics may offer a person a slight advantage, but that advantage is greatly magnified by the way the person relates to his or her environment.

For example, if you're born with an IQ that's slightly higher than average, you'll tend to enjoy school, reading, puzzles, and learning in general. So, you'll spend time in those activities and add modest gains to your already higher-than-average IQ.

That process continues: Because of your cognitive gains, you'll study more, spend time with high-performing friends, ask adults questions, and engage in other activities that will increase your IQ. Thus, the small genetic advantage you started with is multiplied many times over.

The process works in reverse if you start life with a small cognitive disadvantage. You may not enjoy learning, so you might shirk the activities that would challenge and increase your mental abilities.

But why the large gain in IQs over generations? The authors' theory of the "social multiplier" suggests that as people's cognitive ability and performance level rises, the group average increases, which motivates more people to try to improve their ability and performance. So, even small gains in people's IQs can become large social forces in a fairly short period of time.

Though the authors don't pinpoint specific causes for IQ gains, they do suggest several possibilities. Across-the-board increases in IQ could be triggered by such factors as the increasing complexity of industrialized jobs, additional leisure time spent on activities that stretch people's mental abilities, technology that requires brain power, or smaller families in which children receive more time and attention.

Any of those factors, though having small effects initially, would be widespread enough to set off the social-multiplier effect. When people around you are engaging in mentally challenging activities, it's likely that you will as well.

Does the idea of teaching online make you want to jump out of a window? Help is at hand from two institutions of higher ed.

New York University and its for-profit subsidiary, NYUonline, are jointly developing a Certificate in Online Corporate Instruction, which will be launched this fall.

The 35-hour program will be taught entirely online, mainly through synchronous sessions. Trainers will learn how to

* design online training materials

* blend classroom and Web-based teaching strategies

* incorporate graphics and multimedia for interactivity

* facilitate online discussions and knowledge sharing

* assess student performance. People who have less time can take a 20-hour, train-the-trainer course that offers much of the same material, minus the component on instructional design for asynchronous learning.

NYU notes that its program will focus on teaching skills, not technology.

If a master's degree is more your speed, Jones International University is now offering what it deems "the world's first fully online master's of education in e-learning." Jones, the first accredited virtual university, offers six different concentrations for the e-learning M.Ed;

* corporate training and knowledge management

* technology and design

* global leadership and administration

* research and assessment

* library and resource management

* e-learning generalist.

[greater than]), www.nyuonline.cam and www.janesinternational.edu/MEd