Presentation by Rosemarri Klamn, MAPC, CHRP November 20, 2015 EDDE 803: Teaching and Learning in Distance Education Doctorate of Education in Distance Education

1. Neuroscience and Learning
Presentation by Rosemarri Klamn, MAPC, CHRP
November 20, 2015
EDDE 803: Teaching and Learning in Distance Education
Presentation under Creative Commons
Some images are fair use

2. Neuroscience and Learning
Presentation Agenda:
 What is neuroscience and its relationship to learning?
 Educational neuroscience in context
 What can neuroscience offer educators?
 Resources to further study

3. What is Neuroscience and
its Relationship to Learning?
Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system;
its structure, how it works, develops,
malfunctions and how it can be changed
The nervous system includes the central nervous
system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral
nervous system; sending billions of messages
back and forth to communicate
The human brain’s plasticity allows it to adapt or
“learn” to overcome injury
Human Brain
Spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system
receives and returns messages
to the brain through the spinal
cord

4. Human cortex or cerebrum
Frontal lobe:
reasoning, planning,
problem solving,
language, short-term
memory, movement,
emotions
Temporal lobe: auditory
stimuli, long-term memory,
and speech
Occipital lobe: visual processing ,
object recognition
Parietal lobe: movement,
motor skills, visual-spatial
relationships, connecting
sensory information from
visual system
Think,
Feel
Hear,
speakSee
Move
Neuroscience and Learning

5. The connection between the brain and learning
seems obvious…..
Short-term
(working) memory
Long-term
memory
Declarative
(explicit) memory
Semantic
(facts/knowledge)
memory
Episodic (experience,
events) memory
Non-Declarative
(implicit) memory
Procedural (learned motor
skills, habits, abilities)
memory
Source: adapted from Vorhauser-Smith, The Neuroscience of Learning & Development
“Memories are
formed, stored, and
recalled…. in
numerous regions of
the brain”

6. Neuroscience and learning
 Cognitive neuroscience studies cognitive processes using methods from
neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, functional neuroimaging, and computer
modeling
 Behavioral neuroscience studies how the nervous system affects behavior in
motivation, perception, learning and memory, and attention and motor performance
 Cognitive psychology studies reasoning, thinking, language use, judgment and
decision-making in adults and children; including studies of attention, memory, and
visual and auditory information processing
 Educational neuroscience helps diagnose and treat developmental disorders that
affect perception, cognition, and behavior
University of California San Diego. N.d. Department of Psychology.

7. Educational neuroscience in context
 There are cultural differences in how a developmental disorder like dyslexia
presents itself. Language progresses from sound to pattern to meaning
 A deep or opague orthography like French or English has less direct link
between letters and sounds; patterns are examined early. In shallow or
transparent orthography like Spanish children read faster as they can track
text and make links between sound-symbol
 Anatomical and physiological differences contribute to subtypes of dyslexia;
early diagnosis is important to minimize clinical deficits and develop
appropriate prevention and treatment Source: Galaburda, A.M. 2012. Neuroscience, Education,
and Learning Disabilities.

8. Educational neuroscience:
addressing “mind, brain and education”
 “The emergence of educational neuroscience has been born out of the need
for a new discipline that makes scientific research practically applicable in an
educational context” (Fischer & Daley, 2006)
 Learning in cognitive psychology and neuroscience focuses on how
individual humans and other species have evolved to extract information
from the natural and social worlds
 Making educational practice more scientific is similar to medical practice
that lacked systematic procedure prior to Louis Pasteur’s innovations
Source: Fischer K.W. & Daley, S. (2006). Connecting cognitive science and neuroscience to
education: Potential and pitfalls in inferring executive processes.

9. What can neuroscience offer to educators?
 Many experts propose caution in promoting practical implications of
neuroscience for teaching and learning, citing increased collaboration
between neuroscientists and educational practitioners as necessary before
the two disciplines influence educational practice
 Hook and Farah (2012) suggest that neuroscience can help educators
understand and gain patience with their students, especially in middle
school when teachers realize they are dealing with the adolescent brain and
adapting teaching techniques to work for students
Hook, C.J. & Farah, M.J. Neuroscience for Educators: What are They Seeking, and
What are They Finding? Neuroethics.

10. What can neuroscience offer to educators?
 Hook and Farah’s work with teachers that attend “Learning and Brain” seminars
suggests talking about the science and behavior with some students increases
their interest, and increases their confidence.
 Neuroscience offers research on educational practices that is mostly aimed at K-
12;which should lead to teacher education in this field. Some researchers have
applied this to adult learning and training.
Hook, C.J. & Farah, M.J. Neuroscience for Educators: What are They Seeking, and
What are They Finding? Neuroethics.
“When you talk to kids about neuroplasticity and the idea that their
brains change…it changes the way they thing about themselves, in a
very sort of fundamental profound way.” – elementary gifted resource
teacher

11. What can neuroscience offer educators?
 Consistent with learner-centered classrooms that shift focus from teaching
to learning and finding ways to work with student differences and help them
direct their own learning
 Educational practitioners can benefit from understanding the brain and
adapting instructional design principles to fit the needs of the student(s)
 Merrill’s first principles of instruction: demonstration, application, task-
centred, activation, and integration; or Laurillard’s principles of learning
through acquisition, inquiry, discussion, practice and collaboration could
both be adapted to most learning situations
Source: Reiguleth, C.M. & Carr-Chellman, A.A. (2009). Instructional-Design Theories and
Models: Building a Common Knowledge Base. Volume III. Routledge.

12. Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain
 Culturally responsive instruction is about being aware of bias that affects
student-teacher relationships.
 Common cultural tools for learning like “music, repetition, metaphor,
recitation, physical manipulation of content, and ritual” use the brain’s
memory systems
 Neuroscience reveals connection between emotion trust and learning.
Culturally responsive teachers: understand concept of communalism that is
common in communities of colour; build trusting relationships with students
who are marginalized.
Source: Aguilar (2015) on Hammond (2015). Culturally
Responsive Teaching and the Brain

13. Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain
 Educator Elena Augilar recalls her brother’s experience at school where he
was bullied due to frequent epilectic seizures that made her keenly aware of
students that are outcasts because of physical, social, or emotional
differences
 Augillar urges teachers to be aware of “The Other”, the student that does
not fit or frustrates the teacher the most. Are there physiological or cultural
reasons for the student’s behavior?
 Augillar challenges teachers to get to know “The Other” student on a
personal level and see past their disability or oppositional behavior to find
ways to include them in classroom learning
Source: Aguilar (2015) Meeting the Needs of All Students: A First Step

14. Resources for Further Study
 Aguillar, E. (2015). Making Connections: Culturally Responsive Teaching and
the Brain. Edutopia.org. Feb 25, 2015.
 Hammond. Z. (2015). Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain:
Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse Students. Corwin.
 Vorhauser-Smith, S. n.d. The Neuroscience of Learning & Development.
Pageup People White Paper. Retrieved November 5, 2015 from:
http://www.pageuppeople.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/06/Neuroscience-of-Learning-and-Development1.pdf

15. References
Aguillar, E. (2015). Making Connections: Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain. Edutopia.org. Feb 25,
2015. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/making-connections-culturally-responsive-teaching-and-brain-elena-
aguilar
Fischer, K.W. & Daley, S. (2006). Connecting cognitive science and neuroscience to education: Potential and
pitfalls in inferring executive processes. In L. Meltzer (Ed), Understanding executive function: Implications and
opportunities for the classroom (pp 55 - 72). New York: Guildford.
Galaburda, A.M. (2011). Neuroscience, Education, and Learning Disabilities. Human Neuroplasticity and
Education. Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Scripta Varia 117, Vatican City 2011. Retrieved on November 5, 2015
from www.pas.va/content/dam/accademia/pdf/sv117/sv117-galaburda.pdf
Hammond. Z. (2015). Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor
Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Corwin.

16. References
Hook, C.J. & Farah, M.J. 2012. Neuroscience for Educators: What are They Seeking, and What are They Finding.
Neuroethics. Springer Science+Business Media. DOI 10.1007/s12152-012-9159-3
Moore, J. 2002. Some thoughts on the relation between behavior analysis and behavorial neuroscience. The
Psychological Record, 2002, 52 261-279. Retrieved November 15, 2015 from:
http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1243&context=tpr
Reigeluth, C.M. & Carr-Chellman, A.A. (2009). Instructional-Design Theories and Models: Building a Common
Knowledge Base. Volume II. Routledge. P. 15-16
University of California San Diego. N.d. Department of Psychology. Retrieved November 15, 2015 from:
http://www.psychology.ucsd.edu/research-areas/cognitive-behavior-neuroscience.html
Vorhauser-Smith, S. n.d. The Neuroscience of Learning & Development. Pageup People White Paper. Retrieved
November 5, 2015 from: http://www.pageuppeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Neuroscience-of-
Learning-and-Development1.pdf