Educational neuroscience - using insights into brain function to shape

educational practices

Prof. Michael S. C. Thomas

Birkbeck, University of London

Centre for Educational Neuroscience

Presidency Conference ´Contemporary Approaches to Learning

and Teaching´

19-20 September 2017 Tallinn, Tallinn University

Practical Information

Introduction

In the second half of 2017, Estonia holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. We are

very pleased to welcome you to the Presidency Conference ´Contemporary Apporaches to Learning and

Teaching´, which will be held on 19-20 September 2017 in Tallinn. This administrative note contains

practical information that will be useful to you during preparations for your stay in Estonia.

Venue

The Presidency Conference ´Contemporary Apporaches to Learning and Teaching´ will be held at the

Tallinn University, Narva mnt 25, Tallinn 10120 (see location on Google Maps).

Registration and Accreditation

All participants of the conference are required to register in the accreditation system. The system for

delegations accreditation will be available until 28 August 2017.

If you have any questions or require help with the registration and accreditation process, please contact

the Ministry of Education and Research by email at EEpresidency@hm.ee or phone on +372 5560 3205 /

+372 5554 0055.

Transport

Upon your arrival in the hotel, you will be provided with a free Tallinn public transportation card to navigate

between different venues. Only the buses to and from the school visits will be arranged by the Presidency.

Puzzles

• Why do I forget French vocabulary, but not that I’m afraid of spiders?

• Why do I find I have learnt things better after a night’s sleep?

• Why do teenagers start making risky decisions to impress their friends?

• Why does my mind go blank when I’m stressed in an exam?

• Why do I learn a new language so much more easily when I’m 5 than when I'm 50?

?

The brain doesn’t work like a desktop computer

How does the brain work? => Cognitive neuroscience

Increasing interest in links between neuroscience and education

Journals and societies

Reports and target articles

New graduate programs

Integrative field brings together disciplines to study learning

Meltzoff, Kuhl, Movellan & Sejnowski (2010)

Methods of Human Cognitive Neuroscience

Risks of premature translation without evidence-base

Often reflects teachers’ enthusiasm with neuroscience

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/mar/12/no-evidence-to-back-idea-of-learning-styles

Involvement of neuroscience consistent with an evidence-based

approach to education

Teaching and Learning Toolkithttps://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/resources/teaching-learning-toolkit

What Works Clearing Househttps://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

Involvement of neuroscience consistent with an evidence-based

approach to education

• Six large-scale intervention projects recently funded to evaluate new techniques inspired by neuroscience– Teensleep– Learning counterintuitive concepts– Fit to study– Spaced learning– Engaging the brain’s reward system– GraphoGame Rime

Example

• Science and maths learning

Does the Sun go around the Earthor

does the Earth go around the Sun?

Is the Earth flat or round?

Is a dolphin a fish?

Falling objects

If there is no air resistance, which will fall faster, a hammer or a feather?

Fractions

1 + 1 = 2

3 4 7

True or false?

1 < 9

10 100

-5 < -1

True or false?

Angle g is the same size as angle h

ACC – Anterior cingulate cortexDLPFC – Dorsolateral prefrontal cortexVLPFC – Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex

• Learning in maths and science sometimes involves inhibiting prior beliefs or direct perceptual information

• Brain imaging demonstrates experts get better at inhibiting pre-potent responses rather than replacing prior concepts with new ones

Mareschal (2016)

Brookman, Tolmie, Mareschal & Dumontheil (2016)

1 <9

10100

?

http://unlocke.org/

http://unlocke.org/

Understanding how the brain works will give us deeper insights into learning … but learning is only one part of education

Noble et al. (2015)

In families with very low income, less cortical surface area observed in regions associated with language and executive function skills (US data, 1-4% of variance), consistent with slower development of these abilities

Causal models suggest intervention points

• Family resource model (what’s taken away)– Time, money, resources, space

• Family stress model (what’s added)– Stress, toxins

Hackman, Farah, Meaney (2010)

Cognitive neuroscience and deprivation: Implications for intervention

1. Just because the effects of low SES are measurable in the brain does not imply they cannot be reversed. Outside of cases of severe neglect, many cognitive differences shown by children from very low SES families respond well to training techniques, such as those that focus on executive functions and engage with parents.

2. A mechanistic perspective highlights multiple points of possible intervention (directly on SES, indirectly on experiences or biological processes that mediate SES effects, indirectly on brain development by training specific neurocognitive functions, and directly on outcomes educationally or therapeutically); and they allow fostering of factors of resilience such as the mother–child or caregiver–child relationship.

3. Third, measures of brain function make the greatest contribution where they can show that two individuals with similar behaviour actually exhibit it for different reasons. This might imply that, for example, childhood emotional regulation difficulties caused by adverse childhood events are best addressed by therapies addressing traumatic experiences, while those caused by lack of cognitive stimulation are best addressed by learning opportunities scaffolded to encourage self- regulation.

Neuroscience is now influencing policy dialogues. It remains the responsibility of researchers to assure the quality of the information that is shared as well as the limits of its interpretation.

Thomas (2017)

Projects focusing on technology and the brain

https://www.scampstudy.org/http://www.bbk.ac.uk/tablet_project/

• Part of wider evidence-based approach

• A dialogue between educators and scientists

• Likely to be relatively few huge changes

• Instead an accumulation of small improvements that eventually add up to a revolution

Working memory training . . . Educational video games . . . Spaced

learning . . . Executive function training . . . Reward-based learning . . . Sleep to consolidate memories . . .

Diet . . . Aerobic exercise . . . Meditation . . . Social networking

Improvements likely to be incremental

Thank you for your attention

m.thomas@bbk.ac.uk

www.educationalneuroscience.org.uk

http://unlocke.org/