The last decade or so has seen Neuroscience take a more prominent seat at the education table than ever before. As neuroscience research compiles ever greater evidence of how the brain learns and processes information, some argue that their results should form the basis of educational reform. While a well-organized cooperation of neuroscientists and trained educators could lead to improved literacy skills and overall improved learning for all students, there is a catch. More often than not, educators tend to take a single eye-catching or too-good-to-be-true result from a research paper and run with it. Doing so, in absence of a paper’s original context, can lead to unexpected negative results.
Opportunity Statement
The brain is the hub for processing every single aspect of the world around us. Neuroscientists who research brain function have been improving our understanding of these processes for years. By focusing on developing lasting connections between neuroscientists and educators this knowledge can be leveraged to help everyone.
Sources:
More about Neuroscience in Education:
Centre for Educational Neuroscience – What is Neuroscience?
The Emerging Role of Educational Neuroscience in Education Reform
edutopia – Brain-based Learning
There has been a lot of research done on brain function and learning more about how and what the brain can do. A key avenue for progress lies in relationship building between educators and scientists. To be able to take the information that scientists are studying and link it to how to teach and learn better would benefit all. By fostering collaboration we can turn insights from neuroscience into practical applications for education and broader societal understanding.
Although I’m not a scholar of education history, my understanding is that a lot of our approaches and methods are based more on pragmatic decisions about logistics than actually how people learn. That may be changing as technology is more able to adapt content to the form most needed. Set class schedules in schools may be beneficial for teacher scheduling and preparation for traditional workplaces but if students are a specific topic for the set period, learning is going to be less optimal. Deeper understanding of neuroscience can lead to better approaches to pedagogy. For example, spaced repetition systems that modify the timing of practice based on a students retention of the content are based on an understanding of memory and the classic “forgetting curve.” Rather than drill topics heavily in the short term, then leave them completely once a new (and somewhat arbitrary) unit begins, students can benefit from a continuous review an maintenance of knowledge. I think further examples like this will come from deeper understandings via neuroscience. The tools that emerge could be used in, alongside or in place of traditional classroom meetings, making this a very versatile space.
It makes sense to me that neuroscience should form the basis of educational practices. With the increasing use of technology in education, I believe there is an even greater need to turn to neuroscience to help educators make decisions about technology use in the classroom. What technology can support learning? What is happening in the brain when various technologies are being used? While educators may not know or understand exactly how the brain works, they still need to appreciate the role that the brain plays in learning. Basic knowledge about how the brain works can offer educators some context about the topic, however an interdisciplinary approach is needed. I found an interesting article that describes the role of educational psychology to help bridge the gap between neuroscience and education – “Why Educational Neuroscience Needs Educational and School Psychology to Effectively Translate Neuroscience to Educational Practice” (Wilcox et al., 2021).
REFERENCE:
Wilcox, G., Morett, L.M., Hawes, Z., Dommett, E.J. (2021). Why educational neuroscience needs educational and school psychology to effectively translate neuroscience to educational practice. Frontiers in Psychology. 11. 1-7. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.618449/full
There’s potential here. How to leverage our knowledge of the inner workings of the mind in order to boost our learning capabilities? As I work in curriculum and design, I still see training materials that rely heavily on manuals. Manuals can be good resource references but instructors must think of different ways to present materials in a way that’s meaning and impactful for the students.
Part of instructional design is crafting experiences so that students can learn better. Neuroscience can inform this part of instructional design as we can design more conducive learning spaces. I often wonder how many of the published papers in neuroscience does affect the betterment of education in tangible ways.
Hi Bianca, thanks for this, I agree and wonder the same thing. In the realm of instructional design, understanding neuroscience can indeed open new avenues for creating meaningful learning experiences. Learning experience shouldn’t just be gathering information and delivering them, it should be more focused on crafting an environment that stimulates engagement and retention. While there is a wealth of research in neuroscience, I am not sure how challenging it is to apply the findings into tangible improvements in education. But I believe collaborations between neuroscientists, educators, and instructional designers could be key to unlocking the full potential of this knowledge.