Red de alerta

Alerting describes the function of tonically maintaining the alert state and phasically responding to a warning signal.

– Fan et al. (2009:209)

 

The alerting network signals when to pay conscious attention (Posner, 2012:28-47). When visual or verbal cues are perceived that something interesting, relevant, or important may happen, this system brings our brain and body into a state of alertness and vigilance. 

The neural basis for the alerting system seems to lie in a cluster of neurons in the brainstem, the locus coeruleus (Schiff & Finns 2007). This neuron cluster is responsible for producing and releasing the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE). As shown in Figure 2 by the blue arrows, their axons project to the entire cortex and various subcortical areas.

The neurotransmitter norepinephrine stimulates the site targeted to detect stimuli more quickly and makes it more malleable to change its structure (Posner 2012:28ff; Kolb & Whishaw, 2021:564). For example, the reaction time to a stimulus is faster when a warning signal is presented a few seconds earlier. Using warning cues can thus stimulate students’ alertness to information (Posner, 2012:19).

A teacher’s job is to help the student choose the right focus by explicitly calling attention to what he considers important (“Now pay attention to this formula, because it’s going to be important in solving the upcoming problems”).

– Tokuhama-Espinosa (2014:32)

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