Tips for teachers on the neurobiology of learning

The term "brain based education" seems to be redundant, a no-brainer, what else could education be based on, the liver? Yet it is one of the the biggest sources of quackery in education, also in South Africa. I list the advice by Prof. Michael Friedlander with some trepidation therefore, lest some quack latch onto something he or she does not fully understand and build a new mythology on it.


Prof. Friedlander offered advice based on the neurobiology of learning for medical educators. I briefly list his ideas of factors important for learning below, summarised from Brain Scientists Offer Medical Educators Tips on the Neurobiology of Learning. Read the article itself for more information.

Repeating works if it is appropriately spaced

Reward and reinforcement helps learning

Visualization of material aids recall

Active engagement with work helps, teacher must motivate learners

Stress (moderate) is good for learning

Sleeping is important to consolidate learning

Multitasking is bad for learning, except where tasks are related

Individual learning styles

Here I would differ, there is ample evidence that teaching to individual learning styles is ineffective.

Active involvement: Doing is learning

Revisiting information and concepts using multiple senses

Note that brain profiling, whole brain learning, left brain right brain, brain blockages, etc., do not appear in the list. That's because such ideas are not based on good science and have no scientific evidence to support their use! Click on Mind Myths under Labels on the blog, Occam's Donkey.