NEUROSCIENCE OF LEARNING
I’ve always been interested in how the brain is involved in learning. We’ve all heard of those apps that purport to ‘train your brain’. But what is actually happening in our brain when we learn? What is the neuroscience of learning?
Neuroscientist David Eagleman explains the human brain has 10 billion neurons (specialised cells), with each neuron as complex as New York city, and every neuron is connected to 10 000 other neurons. Neurons create electrical pulses (spikes) which travel along axons, at the end of which they release a chemical puff which carries information to other neurons. Trillions of these happen every second! This means we sense the world as a multi-sensory experience – we see, hear, feel, taste, and smell – all at the same time, with each sense creating electrical pulses in the brain. This is easily embedded into maths lessons, by allowing children to investigate using multi-senses – questioning, listening, explaining, manipulating and interacting – to stimulate many of the senses.
Daniela Kaufer agrees, explaining that learning changes the brain and that ‘the most effective learning involves recruiting multiple regions of the brain for the learning task. These regions are associated with such functions as memory, the various senses, volitional control, and higher levels of cognitive functioning.’ Her research on the conditions that are necessary for optimal learning to occur found that moderate stress is needed for the brain ‘to change in response to stimuli (neuroplasticity) and to produce new neurons (neurogenesis)’. She defines moderate stress as ‘any learning activity that requires individual participation or movement. More complex thought processes are more beneficial for learning because they involve a greater number of neural connections and more neurological cross-talk. Active learning takes advantage of this cross-talk, stimulating a variety of areas of the brain and promoting memory.’ This is easily embedded in maths lessons, where students actively engage in independent investigation of a concept at just beyond their current level of understanding.
Every Teaching Plan, Video, Investigation, Reflection and Problem Solving at www.alearningplace.testsrvr.com.au involve multi-sensory learning!
Dr Paul Howard-Jones and Dr John McGurk identified there is a ‘low awareness of emerging practice such as neuroscience, cognition and wider cognitive processes such as intuition and thinking skills’ but warn about the ‘rise of neuromyths’ (for example, we only use 10% of our brain) and the ‘lack of expert scientific input into discussions about learning leading to non-expert speculation on issues such as thinking styles, learning preferences and the like’.
‘Creativity allows the combining of old knowledge to create new ideas relevant to the problem being solved, and it often occurs when we work together and exchange our thoughts. Neuroscience has helped identify the processes by which sharing ideas can help us be more creative.’
Andreas Fink‘s research using brain imaging found that when we are trying to think of new ideas on our own … we deactivate a region of the brain associated with the automatic processing of whatever’s in front of us. But it seems we don’t have to do this so much when we work as a team; there is less deactivation (that is, more activation) of this region when working with other people. This is easily embedded into maths lessons, where students investigate concepts, each at just beyond their current level of understanding, and share their understandings with other students.
Every Teaching Plan, Video, Investigation, Reflection and Problem Solving at www.alearningplace.testsrvr.com.au involve questioning and group investigation!
Alan Schoenfeld explains that to learn mathematics, we need to think like a mathematician. This is easily embedded into the start of maths lessons, by telling students the concept that is the focus of the lesson, then asking them to ‘think about what you already know about (the concept)’, talk to a friend about (the concept), and when you are ready to share with the class, do that!’
Every Teaching Plan and Video at www.alearningplace.testsrvr.com.au start like this and use questioning throughout to allow students to think like a mathematician!
Much of this research is being implemented in the corporate world, and in sports – when its real home is in educating children!
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