Science Resources
Brilliant Star Framework
The Brilliant Star framework was developed for the purpose of organizing what is known about human potentials that can be influenced by learning. A primary orientation for the materials on this website is that science and religion offer complementary viewpoints on human development and that considering the topic from both perspectives provides insights that might not be considered when viewed separately.
Two versions are available. While both provide the same materials related to science, the first provides insights from compilations of interfaith scriptures while the second provides insights from compilations of Baha’i scriptures.
An overview of the Brilliant Star Framework
The Brilliant Star framework and considers the development of the whole person from the perspective of developing capacities in eight domains: (1) temperament, personality, and self-views, (2) cognition/thinking, (3) affect/emotion, (4) conation/volition (or agency/self-regulation), (5) social/interpersonal, (6) physical/bodilykinesthetic, (7) spiritual/transpersonal, and (8) moral character. Basic research is considered as well as how interested adults, especially educators, can facilitate development in each of these areas.
Information Processing and Memory
Considers the cognitive domain from the perspective of information processing theories and memory. It includes descriptions and definitions of important terms and models that have been used to depict memory types and processors. The frameworks associated with the stage theory model and schools of thought on pattern recognition and representation models are discussed as well as those on schema, parallel distributed processing, and connectionist models. The chapter ends with discussion on the assessment of cognitive processing in education today and activities for developing instruction that is built on the theories discussed.
Cognitive Development
Considers the cognitive domain from the perspective of cognitive development. This chapter provides an overview of the developmental theories of Bruner, Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky and the educational application of cognitive and social constructivism, including instruction and assessment activities.
Mental Representations
Uses the theory and research on information processing and cognitive development to explore how people use mental representations as they interact with, and attempt to understand, the environment within which they are embedded. It summarizes the different types of mental representations, from the most general level of worldviews to the most specific level of schema and scripts. The basic perspective is that human beings do not interact with the environment as it exists in reality, but rather do so through mental representations that have been constructed as they have interacted with it. An overview of how the mental representations can be modified is also explored.
Affect and Emotions
Provides an overview of the affective/emotion domain. Mounting evidence supports the position that human beings are inherently emotional beings and that affective/emotional development impacts human development and behavior in a wide variety of important ways. This chapter provides an overview of emotion and the affective domain, including developmental considerations and methods that can be used to facilitate development in this domain. Also discussed are instruments and methods to assess emotional and affective development.
Agency and Conation
Provides an overview of the conative domain and the role of agency in human development and behavior. Conation is defined as the mental process that activates and/or directs behavior and action. Various terms used to represent some aspect of conation include intrinsic motivation, goal-orientation, volition, will, self-direction, and self-regulation. Issues are discussed related to various activities and strategies that parents and educators can use to assist children and youth in their development, as well as assessments of conation and its subcomponents.
Social Development
Provides an overview of social development. Research has shown that human beings are inherently social. Developing competencies in this domain enhance a person’s ability to succeed in school as well as positively influencing mental health, success in work, and the ability to be a citizen in a democracy. This chapter outlines research and theories related to the development of social competence and provides a literature review of theory and research supporting the vital importance of social competence, including a discussion of empirically-based interventions and measurement tools that educators can use to facilitate development of social competence.
Physical Development
This chapter provides an overview of the importance of maintaining physical fitness and proper nutrition as well as an overview of the means by which physical fitness can be obtained and maintained. Cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition are components of physical fitness; consuming a healthy diet that includes grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean protein sources are aspects of good nutrition. The chapter also reviews literature related to the assessment of components of physical fitness.
Spiritual Development
Provides an overview of spiritual development and describes the role of education in this domain. The first section explains important terms and establishes the importance of spirituality as a component of life success. The second section discusses some important issues regarding the development of spirituality, while the third and fourth sections provide a review of how to stimulate and assess spiritual development, respectively.
Moral and Character Development
Provides an overview of moral and character development. This issue has been a topic of concern for thousands of years and was central to the development of American schooling, losing favor in the middle of the twentieth century. Over the last several decades there has been increased attention to the importance of moral character as central to the purpose of schooling. This chapter reviews theories related to moral character development and suggests methods for including it in the school setting. The last two chapters focus on the integration of the other domains.
Self and Self-views
Considers issues related to self- and self-views with a focus on self-concept, self-esteem, and self-efficacy. These are considered especially relevant because they are constructed by the individual as he or she reflects on personal behavior and interaction with the environment, especially other people. The infant has no conceptualization of self as a separate organism and only develops this concept as he or she becomes more mobile. These self-views are quite flexible throughout childhood and adolescence and are, therefore, open to influence. However, once they become stable in later adolescence or early adulthood, they are quite difficult to change.
Citizenship
Discusses some ideas related to developing curriculum for glocal citizenship. The concept of glocal comes from the integration of a need to have a global focus while interacting within a local neighborhood and community. The expression “Think global, act local” captures the essence of this concept. Discussed are some practical applications for curriculum development and guiding the teaching/ learning process using the Brilliant Star framework as a guide to thinking about preparing children and youth for life as adults in a rapidly changing, digital, global sociocultural milieu.