Lecture 1 - What is educational neuroscience?

Question 1

Why is there a need for educational neuroscience?

Answer 1

Educational outcomes are not optimal (cf. PISA, drop-out rates, etc.) despite a century of psychological evidence on learning and memory

Considering neural level may help to identify effective educational approaches

Question 2

What happened in medical practice a century ago?

Answer 2

Brain imaging, memory models

Antibiotics invented by Fleming 1928

First ideas about vaccines

Big advances in medical practice as a whole

Question 3

What is educational neuroscience?

Answer 3

Educational neuroscience is an emerging scientific field that brings together researchers in cognitive neuroscience, developmental cognitive neuroscience, educational psychology, educational technology, education theory and other related disciplines to explore the interactions between biological processes and education.

Question 4

Aim of educational neuroscience

Answer 4

generate basic and applied research that will provide a new transdisciplinary account of learning and teaching, which is capable of informing education

Question 5

6 ways in which educational neuroscience can inform learning/education

(BMBF report 2006)

Answer 5

1. Neuroscientific explanations of developmental cognitive deficits
2. Neuroscientific/neurophysiological explanations of cognitive and learning deficits
3. Decisions between competing psychological explanations
4. Different causes of cognitive deficits
5. Diagnosis of cognitive developmental disorders
6. Training of precursor skills

Question 6

Critical aspects of educational neuroscience

Answer 6

What does neural level add to our understanding of education? Education doesn’t care about any other level apart from the behavioural level - e.g. actually learning to read.

Scientifically not supported applications (e.g. brain training, brain computer interfaces, cognitive enhancement)

Neuromyths

Surveillance of students (intrusive? Do we want this?)