Neuro-Informed Learning

Abstract

As the epicenter for learning activities, the brain is the coordinator of all actions associated with collecting information, organizing it, storing it, and eventually re-organizing it for application in the real world. And yet, to date, little has been known about what happens within the brain during learning activities. We have operated based on a black box set of assumptions that results in researchers testing inputs and outputs but lacking a true understanding of what happens between those two endpoints. However, the fields of neuroscience and cognitive science, along with neuro-technology engineers, have simultaneously been studying the brain and developing apparatus that allow us to understand what is happening in the brain in real-time during learning. The implications of these capabilities and a deeper understanding of learning are boundless. Accordingly, this chapter will delve into four key areas: (1) research and theories, (2) cognitive readiness and comprehension, (3) neuro-technology data, and (4) the necessary evolution of teachers to facilitators.