Here is some resources that I found interesting on the topic of how the brain learns. This focuses on the learning of children.
Dr. Tanya Evans has a background in Neuroscience and now works in the field of education. I liked her insight into the way that children learn. There are several things that we could learn from this publication. One is that the educational neuroscience can be considered the study of how people learn best. She describes her role in neuroscience and education as a “interdisciplinary” approach to learning how to facilitate lasting knowledge. The importance of neuroscience in education is explored when she talks about how neuroscience adds a “physiological marker of learning,” this concrete measurement tools that can be used for assessment. She also talks about being able to see the incredible plasticity of the human brain in relation to learning, the fact that the brain, especially in kids, is such a sponge. Being able to see how the brain works is amazing and relating that knowledge to education is imperative.
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This video I found very interesting on the topic of how the brain learns. Dr. Lodge McCammon delivers the content in a visual way. He used his system he appropriately called The McCammon Method of learning. It details how to best unlock the brain potential of your learners. Ii found it really interesting that he mentioned “active learning” in many different ways. Active learning is the key to application of the knowledge. He suggests that engaging students in the learning process helps the brain to learn information. He goes step by step in order of how information should be presented to learners. He talks about methods that can also boost learning. One method he mentions is by simply allowing learners to be mobile while participating in the lesson. Movement he notes “increases memory, creativity, and attention” among other benefits. The video inst that long and worth a watch.
This last resource was a easy read packed full with useful information. Donald J. Ford Ph.D. delivers a great article that uses plain language to convey the theory that the brain learns best though frequency. Basically the more that you are exposed to information, the better the neurons that help you remember the information work together. He also suggest that learning needs to be more emotional and interactive with all the senses not just the “logical” side of the brain. Research suggests that the brain works best together as a whole not individual parts. For this, Ford suggests group activities and games that allow students to work more than the traditional side of their brain when learning. I really, enjoyed reading this quick article. I gained alot of insight in such a little bit of time.
All these resources on the brain and learning lean to the thought that learning needs to be multidimensional. Learning no longer can be viewed in the traditional way and capture the large audience we are after. Learning needs to be new, it needs to be fun, it needs to be engaging for the brain to pick up on the important information it needs to remember.