Post on 24-Jan-2017
The brain on campus: Can neuroscience
contribute to innovation in higher education?
Jason M. Lodge
Psychological Scientist & Research FellowMelbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education
University of Melbourne
jason.lodge@unimelb.edu.au
Why do we need to think differently about learning
in higher education in 2015?
Our fundamental relationship with information and
knowledge is changing
What are the conceptions of learning in the higher education literature?
460 articles examined from Higher Education Research & Development and Studies in
Higher Education
Any study explicitly or implicitly addressing student learning included in analysis
45 of 460 articles (9.7%)examined an issue related
to student learning
Topics?
1. Student experience2. Student engagement3. Student transition4. Critical thinking5. Reflective learning
Methodology?
Theoretical foundation?
How was ‘learning’ measured?
Why hasn’t neuroscience had more of an impact on
practice in higher education?
A place for neuroscience in higher education research?
Collaborating Organisations Partner Organisations
Neuroscience Psychology HigherEducation
Looking for ‘learning’ in the brain is like looking for
‘driving’ in your car
c.f. Breedo, 2006
Where do we start from then?
Common ground?
Neuroscience Psychology
Biology PracticeBehaviour &experience
HigherEducation
Confusion
Feedback
“Family resemblance”
Desirable difficulties
Neuroscience Psychology HigherEducation
Desirable difficulty no. 1Fonts
Neuroscience Psychology HigherEducation
Mean (SEM) percentage of recall questions correct
Desirable difficulty no. 2Instructional videos
Neuroscience Psychology HigherEducation
Control condition
Tablet condition
Socratic questioning condition
Means (SE) of test scores
Desirable difficulty no. 3Simulations
Neuroscience Psychology HigherEducation
Pharmacodynamics - MCQ Performance
Pharmacodynamics
Blood alcohol concentration
Pre-post scores: Blood alcohol concentration
Post-session self report: Blood alcohol concentration
Productive failure?
Desirable difficulty no. 4Prediction error
Neuroscience Psychology HigherEducation
Percentage of errors across trials
What have we learned?
Some conceptual clues
Error correction
Desirable difficulties
Productive failure
Cognitive load
Zone of proximal development
Neuroscience Psychology HigherEducation
Neuroscience
Psychology
Teachingpractice
Computer science
Design &Ed tech
Biology Computational models
Behaviour Subjectiveexperience
Design patterns
Learning designs
Teaching practice
Cognitive science
Academic development
The mind
Context and socio-cultural factors
Neuroscience
Psychology
Teachingpractice
Computer science
Design &Ed tech
Biology Computational models
Behaviour Subjectiveexperience
Design patterns
Learning designs
Teaching practice
Cognitive science
Academic development
The mind
Context and socio-cultural factors
The brain on campus: Can neuroscience
contribute to innovation in higher education?
Jason M. Lodge
Psychological Scientist & Research FellowMelbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education
University of Melbourne
jason.lodge@unimelb.edu.au