Many computer generated games, apps and cognitive stimulation programmes are emerging on the market that are designed to improve brain activity. And although many are not scientifically validated, there have been claims that they serve as brain boosters.

COGNITIVE LITERACY & METACOGNITION

Despite the stimulation and perhaps improvements in some brain functions (not yet validated), gaming and AI do not facilitate Cognitive Literacy, nor do they empower children towards self-directed learning in new and novel situations.

Cognitive Literacy is deeper than just stimulation or solving an immediate problem. It requires understanding the mechanisms of how thinking occurs (metacognate) and how it can be translated to new and novel situations. Unless a child understands their own thinking processes and is fluent enough to transfer that to unfamiliar learning situations the benefit of cognitive stimulation will largely be limited to the stimulating activity only.

Thinking skills training facilitates cognitive literacy which empowers children with knowledge, tools, strategies, attitude as well as stimulation to master the process of learning and become independent learners and problem solvers throughout their lifetime. Such literacy provides insight as well as stimulation, and new neural pathways are more firmly established with bridging activities and coaching.

A quick comparison between the brains functions and the functions of a computer, both hardware and software applications (or APPs).

SIMILARITIES

Thinking skills are very similar to the software part of a computer, designed to perform specific functions or operations. And just like these APPs or Applications they need to be ACTIVATED or APPLIED in order to perform the required job.

Without activating an APP on your phone or tablet it will lie in sleep mode or dormant. Thinking skills can also lie dormant unless sufficiently stimulated and activated.

DIFFERENCES

Thinking skills are more powerful then computer software because, unlike software, thinking skills can actually cause physical or structural changes in the brain when they are applied.

Computer software, on the other hand, does not physically change the hardware components. Computer hardware remains the same.

The brain, on the other hand grows new neural networks when the thinking operations are ignited and diligently applied, thus changing the structural platform of this magnificent organ in our body. Moreover, this change is graduated in proportion to the depth and breath of application of the ignited skill.