What does Neuroscience have to offer education?

• Know the ‘Neuromyths’ and how to handle them

• Know how neuroscience can impact on education

• Know the problems posed by neuroscience to education

• Know the potential benefits neuroscience offers

The Brain Itself

TLRP: “The brain is the principle organ in learning”

Reasoning & movement

Memory & auditory skills

Integrating information from different sources; MathsVisual processing

Learning Styles: V, A, K.

Premise: Learning in the style favoured by one’s brain means learning is more efficient and secure.

Findings: Nope. Tests show learning in a favoured style makes no difference. “wasted effort”

Important: Varying activities and learning styles used in classroom is good – motivation and interest.

Left Brain / Right Brain

Take the left brain right brain test and see which side of your brain you use most!

Complete and utter rot! No activity has yet been found that does not require both sides of the brain to be performed.

Other NeuromythsDrink a lot of water

Yes – but ONLY if you are thirsty

Fish Oils up attention and retention

No conclusive proof for children with ADHD, and no proof for general population.

Brain Gym No – left/right distinction is rubbish. Exercise has benefits though.

‘Critical Periods’ vs Flexibility

Premise: There are ‘critical periods’ for children to learn – if you don’t teach them then, they’ll never learn. Synaptogenesis and synaptic pruning. Brilliant news – this is wrong!

In frontal and parietal lobes synaptic pruning doesn’t occur until after adolescence . Problems for yr 9 – the ‘pubertal dip’…

Human brains are VERY flexible.Teaching does have an impact!

How neuroscience can impact on education

Dyslexia – brain activity in dyslexic children different to ‘normal’ children. Targeted teaching had great results – brain structure and ability changed. Dyscalculia – ‘Number World’ (Griffin, Case & Siegler, 1994 in Bruer)

ADHD – 3-6%. Genetic disorder. Not the child’s fault – but teaching (as well as medicine) can have an impact. Good teaching can be undermined by brain based factors like learning anxiety; ADHD; poor social skills – neuroscience can help alleviate these

Potential of neuroscience to aid teaching and

learningThe Power of VisualisingEarly Identification of SEN

Teaching strategies to address literacy problems – maybe even interpretations!

Attention

Dangers of neuroscienceThere is a “need to avoid considering differences in brain activity between different groups of children (and adults) as evidence for permanent, biologically determined differences in ability. Biology is not Destiny. Education can critically influence how the brain operates” TLRPe.g. J. Barnard Davis ‘On the weight of the brain in the Negro’ (in Anthropological Review Vol 7.25; April 1869)

Dangers of neuroscienceSmart drugs – value of a ‘bought’ education? Implications

Neuro - feedback – limited applications

A Bridge too far? Need second cognitive science bridge.Problems with methodology and interpreting results of neuroscience

Conclusions?

MASSIVE potential – but brain scans don’t = lesson plansDialogue between neuroscientists and teachers necessary for progress and genuine innovations in schoolsThe ‘Neuroeducator’- Professional of the future? Fuller & Glendening

The flexible brain!

Neuroscience for teachers

Importance of:

Diet – beans on toast; eggs; salad; yoghurts

Sleep – 21hrs awake makes you legally drunk. Replay.

Avoiding caffeine and alcohol

Exercise

Be aroused!

Use it or lose it

Bibliography

John T Bruer ‘Education and the brain: A bridge too far’ in Educational Researcher, Vol 26.8; (nov 1997), pp4-16.

The TLRP Report on ‘Neuroscience and Education: Issues and Opportunities’ (not yet published – next week!) Paul Howard Jones.

Usha Goswami – Neuroscience and Education in British Journal of Educational Psychology (2004) Vol 74 pp1-14.

Usha Goswami – Neuroscience and Education: from research to practice? In Nature Reviews Neuroscience (available online from the Cambridge Centre for Neuroscience in Education http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/neuroscience/index.htm