An outline of the essential role of the brain in learning focussing on recent MRI evidence. Should be helpful for teachers and educators

1. Learning and the brain
Dysgu, a'r ymennydd
Christine Davies

2. Objectives of this session
Nod y Wers
• To have a basic understanding of role of brain
in learning
• To form ideas about how certain conditions
and circumstances may affect the brain and
learning processes
• To pick up pointers to strategies that may aid
learning

3. What did the Ancient
Egyptians think about
brains???

4. During mummification,
brains were removed
using a hook poked up
the right nostril!
But the heart was left in
situ because this was
believed to be the seat
of intelligence

5. What is the brain
made of??

6. The nervous system
is composed of large
numbers of nerve
cells (neurons) which
are inter-connected
via tiny gaps called
synapses.

7. TRUE OR FALSE???
• Learning involves
gaining more neurons:
TRUE or FALSE?
• Learning involves
gaining more synapses:
TRUE or FALSE?
• FALSE!
• TRUE (probably!)
This is believed to be the
basis of the brain’s
‘plasticity’

8. ‘Basic’ functions such as
control of balance,
breathing, heart rate are
functions of the mid and
hind brain regions.
Activities associated with
learning occur
predominantly in the
forebrain, especially the
cortex (outer part) of the
brain of the frontal lobes

9. TRUE OR FALSE?
• Your brain, and the way it
functions depends only
on your genes
• Certain parts of the brain
control certain aspects of
learning
• FALSE
• Though genes play a part
• NOT SURE!
• We can link form and
function for some parts and
activities, but this is difficult
with complex activities such
as learning

10. Based on ‘stage theory’ of Atkinson and Shriffin (1968);
see: http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/File:Cognitive-learning-process2.gif

11. Since the 1990s,
scanning technology,
particularly functional
Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (fMRI), has
helped to show brain
function (blood flow)
associated with specific
tasks/ activities

12. Working memory & training
From:
Teaching and Learning Research Programme (2007). Neuroscience and Education: Issues and Opportunities.
Available at: http://www.tlrp.org/pub/documents/Neuroscience%20Commentary%20FINAL.pdf (Accessed: 17 June
2014)

13. Value of Sleep
From:
Teaching and Learning Research Programme (2007). Neuroscience and Education: Issues and Opportunities.
Available at: http://www.tlrp.org/pub/documents/Neuroscience%20Commentary%20FINAL.pdf (Accessed:
17 June 2014)

14. TRUE OR FALSE??
• Drinking large volumes
of water aids brain
function
• Coffee helps you think
• FALSE
• Though dehydration causes
problems
• FALSE
• Though there will be
caffeine withdrawal
symptoms for regular coffee
drinkers

15. Dyslexia
From:
Goswami, U (2006) ‘Neuroscience and education: from research to practice?’ Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7, 406-
413. Available at : http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v7/n5/full/nrn1907.html (Accessed 17 June 2014)

16. Dyscalculia
Side view of left
hemisphere :
Blue: brain regions
believed to be involved
in precise calculations
Yellow: brain regions
believed to be involved
in ‘estimation’ activity
From:
Teaching and Learning Research Programme (2007). Neuroscience and Education: Issues and Opportunities.
Available at: http://www.tlrp.org/pub/documents/Neuroscience%20Commentary%20FINAL.pdf (Accessed:
17 June 2014)

17. Autism
From:
Goswami, U (2006) ‘Neuroscience and education: from research to practice?’ Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7, 406-
413. Available at : http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v7/n5/full/nrn1907.html (Accessed 17 June 2014)

18. From:
Hanson, JL et al (2013) ‘Family Poverty Affects the Rate of Human Infant Brain Growth’, PLoS ONE 8(12).
Available at: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0080954 (Accessed 17
June 2014)
The graph shows results
of a fMRI study of infants
in the US (2013).
Age in months is shown
on the horizontal axis,
spanning from 5 to 37
months. Frontal lobe grey
matter volume is shown
on the vertical axis.
SES= socio-economic
status
What does this graph indicate?

19. Key points
• Repetition helps information/skills to move from ‘working
memory’ to ‘long term’ memory
• Brains shows ‘plasticity’ : this allows learning at all ages
• In conditions such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, some aspects
of brain function are atypical, but may be ‘normalised’ with
appropriate training
• Brains need sufficient water, glucose and sleep to function
effectively. Recent commercial programmes such as ‘Brain
Gym’ may not help much. Some things, such as poverty,
may harm
• Neuroscience provides us with increasing amounts of
information, but there are few certainties

20. Further reading
• Teaching and Learning Research Programme (2007). Neuroscience
and Education: Issues and Opportunities. Available at:
http://www.tlrp.org/pub/documents/Neuroscience%20Commentary
%20FINAL.pdf (Accessed: 17 June 2014)
• Paul Howard-Jones (2014). A Review of Educational Interventions and
Approaches Informed by Neuroscience. Available at:
http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/uploads/pdf/NSED_Li
tReview_Final.pdf (Accessed: 17 June 2014)
• Dan Willingham (2014) ‘When educational neuroscience works! The
case of reading disability’, Science and Education blog, 01/27/2014.
Available at:
http://www.danielwillingham.com/1/post/2014/01/when-
educational-neuroscience-works-the-case-of-reading-disability.html
(Accessed: 17 June 2014)