Over the past two decades, neuroscience research has demonstrated that the traditional classroom does not stimulate student learning as much as it could. Step into mind-based learning, an innovative educational approach based on scientific research. This involves a teaching method that limits lectures and encourages exercise breaks, group learning and peer teaching. Brain-based learning focuses on neural plasticity, or the rewiring of brain connections when learning new concepts.
Table of Contents
Brain-based learning:
Brain-based learning uses neuroscience to create informative curriculum and course design. Purpose? Learn quickly and efficiently. The research that informs this approach focuses on the brain’s ability to change, reconfigure, and reorganize while someone is learning new information, according to Education Reform. This ability is affected by things like exercise, diet, and stress levels. A person’s emotional state also has an impact on their ability to learn.
When information is presented effectively, the brain can function better, its resilience is increased, and overall working intelligence is improved. Research has also shown that the brain changes physically during learning. So the more you practice a new skill, the easier it becomes to learn.
Using this research as a springboard, teachers are implementing mind-based learning principles in the classroom. They have a particular focus on reducing stress, providing effective materials, enhancing student mobility, and creating opportunities for practice. While the principles remain the same regardless of the student’s age, everyone begins to learn differently as they get older. Therefore, the distribution methods of these principles adapt accordingly.
History of Brain-Based Learning
Neuroresearch gained momentum in the 1990s. To date, little is known about neural pathways, and left and right brain theory, which is launched in the 1960s, is decades old. According to Global Digital Citizenship, from the 1990s to the present, scientists have discovered more about the brain than in all other centuries combined.
In 1994, research by Geoffrey Caine and Renate Nummela Caine concluded that students are better able to remember and understand topics when in a brain-based teaching environment.
Principles of Brain-Based Learning
The basic principles of brain-based learning follow. Each principle sets out a formula for better student retention and learning.
1. Health and Fitness
The more physically active and engaged students are, the better their academic performance. This requires more than a midday break or walk between classes. For example, allowing students to take breaks in class and throughout the day, helps students revitalize, increase attention span, and better prepare for information retention.
2. Positive Emotions
The happier a student is, the more likely they are to learn and think effectively. Teacher affirmations are one way to boost students’ self-esteem.
3. Teamwork
Working in groups with classmates allows students to learn from each other. This helps them retain information that they may not accept or understand from the teacher.
4. Peer Instruction
When students teach material to their friends, it helps them retain that information. This can be done in small groups or through presentations.
5. Practice
Learning through repetition and trial and error is more effective than simple memorization. Students will gain a better understanding of the topic through practice, rather than simply memorizing the details.
6. Limited Lectures
Only five to ten percentage of statistics is retained at some stage in a lecture, in line with Classcraft. Making instructions in large part discussion-primarily based totally promotes pupil getting to know.
7. Meaningful Information
Students are much more likely to consider statistics if they may be engaged with the lesson. By making use of the cloth to their lives, college students will discover it meaningful. For example, a lesson on economics will be associated with telephone ownership.
8. Written and Verbal Information
Having college students each write and verbalize statistics will assist circulate it from their short-time period reminiscence to their long-time period reminiscence.
9. Stimulation
Catching college students’ interest thru humor, movement, or video games stimulates their brains’ emotional center. In turn, this will increase college students’ engagement and processing of statistics.
10. Less Stress
Stress chemically adjustments the brain. In a peaceful lecture room environment, college students have the possibility to carry out at better levels.
Benefits of Brain-Based Learning
The blessings of brain-primarily based totally getting to know comply with the principles. These include:
1. Health
This technique promotes fitness and exercise, boosting the general health and well being of college students.
2. Better psyches
Positive affirmations and restrained grievance allows college students experience right approximately themselves and examine themselves in a high quality manner.
3. Cooperation
The extra institution paintings college students do, the extra they discover ways to cooperate and compromise.
4. Improved reminiscence
Overall, brain-primarily based totally getting to know allows college students construct their recollections and retention. The peer-coaching principle, in particular, results in multiplied memorization and information of statistics.
5. Technique
This coaching and getting to know fashion isn’t always a one-size-fits-all revel in. Teachers can practice a couple of techniques following the principles, making it in all likelihood they may revel in consequences with their college students.
Classroom Application
As it has a couple of techniques, brain-primarily based totally getting to know additionally has many lecture room packages. For example, each verbal and written statistics may be covered in instructions, which enhances retention. Hands-on sports also can be created, including imparting college students with bodily clocks to examine time.
Another utility is modeling assignments on real-international demanding situations college students revel in. For example, while coaching approximately percentages, a buying hobby may be set up. Each object will be on sale and the pupil challenged to calculate the sale charge earlier than they may be rewarded with it. This hobby also can be performed in companies wherein they have got a price range to comply with. This allows them examine hassle fixing and crucial questioning multi functional hobby, transferring out of doors the lecture and into realistic packages of the lesson.
It’s crucial to word that now no longer all techniques paintings for all college students. Regularly attempting new techniques and operating thru trial and blunders is the fine manner to start enforcing brain-primarily based totally getting to know withinside the lecture room.
Conclusion
Brain-primarily based totally gaining knowledge of is a paradigm of gaining knowledge of which addresses scholar gaining knowledge of and gaining knowledge of consequences from the factor of view of the human brain. It includes unique techniques for gaining knowledge of that are designed primarily based totally on how human attention, memory, motivation, and conceptual expertise acquisition work. Brain-primarily based totally gaining knowledge of and coaching can optimize gaining knowledge of holistically.
