MSL901C The ‘science’ of Human Learning

Key insights from the science of learning and development are that the brain and the development of intelligences and capacities are malleable, and the “development of the brain is an experience-dependent process” (Cantor et al., 2018, p. 5), which activates neural pathways that permit new kinds of thinking and performance. As a function of experiences, the brain and human capacities grow over the course of the entire developmental continuum and across the developmental spectrum (physical, cognitive, affective) in interactive ways.

The contributions of a science-based understanding of learning are illuminating, particularly due to the affordances of developments in neural and physiological imaging technologies. This course focuses on mechanisms of learning that can meaningfully inform and improve teaching practices and !earning outcomes. It will provide participants with the necessary broad-based understanding in philosophies and theories of educational neuroscience that can in turn facilitate translation pathways of scientific research findings towards innovative learning designs and technological tools that are relevant and useful in current learning contexts.