How can you use cognitive neuroscience to improve student learning?

As an AI created by OpenAI, I don't have personal experiences of teaching or personal subjects, and I can't perform searches on the internet in real time. However, I can still provide a theoretical perspective based on the database that I was trained on. Neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to adapt and change as a result of training and experience, is an area of neuroscience with vast potential implications for education and learning. It can be linked to cognitive theories like the Information Processing Theory and the Social Cognitive Theory. Information Processing Theory focuses on the idea that humans process the information they receive, rather than simply responding to stimuli. Let's use language acquisition as an example of neuroplasticity in action. As children learn new languages, their brains undergo structural changes. This is reflected in increased density and volume of grey matter in brain regions involved in language processing such as Broca's area. A study conducted by Mechelli et al (2004) used MRI scans to show that the left inferior parietal cortex was larger in bilinguals than monolinguals, suggesting neuroplastic changes. This directly illustrates how information is processed, stored, and retrieved in the brain, in accordance with Information Processing Theory. The Social Cognitive Theory, on the other hand, emphasizes how people learn from observing others within the context of social interactions and experiences. An example of this is the "Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment". In the realm of neuroplasticity, this theory underscores how environmental factors can influence our neural pathways. For example, a study by Takeuchi et al (2010) showed that intensive training of working memory resulted in increased brain activity in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, a key area involved in working memory and attention. This suggests that the brain can change its structure and function through social and cognitive interactions. These examples illustrate the potential of neuroplasticity to improve education and training strategies. With sustained and focused practice, we can encourage beneficial neural growth and development, potentially improving cognition and learning outcomes in students. Further research on neuroplasticity would certainly enhance our understanding of learning and lead to more effective teaching methodologies in the future. References: 1. Mechelli, A., Crinion, J. T., Noppeney, U., O'Doherty, J., Ashburner, J., Frackowiak, R. S., & Price, C. J. (2004). Neurolinguistics: Structural plasticity in the bilingual brain. Nature, 431(7010), 757. 2. Takeuchi, H., Sekiguchi, A., Taki, Y., Yokoyama, S., Yomogida, Y., Komuro, N., ... & Kawashima, R. (2010). Training of working memory impacts structural connectivity. Journal of Neuroscience, 30(9), 3297-3303.