Communicating research to support the evolution of teaching
“Given the recent report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies that there has been no improvement in school attainment gap in England for over 20 years, it is clearly urgent for educators to look at new ways of enhancing the teaching and learning experience in this country. Educational Neuroscience, the study of how the brain learns, is logically one of the new ways. This survey carried out on behalf of Learnus by YouGov shows the increasing interest teachers have in Educational Neuroscience.” Richard Newton-Chance Chair of the Learnus Council
“In September 2023, Learnus council member Michael Thomas attended a meeting of the All Parliamentary Party Group (APPG) on Artificial Intelligence at the House of Lords, convened to discuss the potential impact (for better or worse) of generative artificial intelligence on education”.
"Education is concerned with enhancing learning, and neuroscience is concerned with understanding the mechanisms of learning. It seems only logical that one should inform the other".
Dame Professor Uta Frith Developmental Psychologist UCL. Patron of the National Forum for Neuroscience and Special Education
Join the Learnus Membership Take part in this pioneering project
Educational neuroscience draws evidence from several fields of study to deepen our understanding of learning and teaching and debunk some ‘neuromyths’.
Educationalists Professor Derek Bell and Richard Newton Chance explain the latest thinking about thinking.
Professor of Psychology in the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development at Birkbeck College and Project Leader of the UnLocke Project and Professor Derek Bell, Director of Learnus and Co-Investigator of the UnLocke Project.
Stop and Think Learning counter-intuitive concepts in primary maths and science
Learnus presented its "FutureEd23" Conference in London in June 2023. At the conference the speakers addressed the question "What is the place of educational neuroscience in teacher education with particular reference to the Early Careers Framework".
Michael Thomas Slides Paul Howard-Jones & Kendra McMahon Slides Duncan AstleSlides Peter Mather, Cara Carey & Jeremy Dudman-Jones - Slides
Learnus visits The Blakemore Lab at the University of Cambridge in the UK
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore is Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. Her group’s research focuses on the development of social cognition and decision making in the human adolescent brain.
Learnus visits the Attention, Brain & Cognitive Development (ABCD) Lab, part of University of Oxford’s Experimental Psychology Division.
Webinar Prof. Michael Thomas
"What do teachers need to know about neuroscience anyway?"
Webinar given by Michael Thomas, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Birkbeck University and Director of the Centre for Educational Neuroscience.
"Beyond retrieval to richer forms of consolidating knowledge and strengthening learning"
Professor Sue Fletcher-Watson Professor of Developmental Psychology; University of Edinburgh
Visit to the Toddler Lab
Learnus vists the Toddler Lab, the Wordld's first dedicated centre, where researchers use cutting edge wearing tech. to see how toddlers' brains develop.
Visit to CALM
Learnus visits the Centre for Attention Learning and Memory (CALM) lab at the University of Cambridge
Learnus is at the forefront of supporting the engagement and dialogue between educators and researchers working in the field of educational neuroscience that can realise huge potential for the classroom.
Interview with Prof. Denis Mareschal
Professor of Psychology, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, School of Psychology, Birkbeck College interviewed London
Interview Prof. Iroise Dumontheil
Reader in Cognitive Neuroscience interviewed in London
Lecture
Dr Duncan Astle Programme Leader at The Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge
Interview Professor Sophie Scott
Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Speech Communication Leader, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London
This is a new kind of blog. Its focus is to consider how research could inform education tomorrow rather than how it is at the moment. To this end, we are publishing blogs from both teachers and researchers, so that both can communicate their views and points of contact can be found.
We encourage you to consider how you would like to see the shape of education research in the future and we look forward to hearing your views. Our publication guidelines can be found here.
We hope you will enjoy visiting the Learnus Blog site. Your comments and suggestions will always be welcome. We would very much appreciate you passing this information on to fellow teachers and researchers and retweeting the tweets that are going out. You can find us on Twitter here: @LearnusUK
Training Jeremy Dudman-Jones
Presentation on The Brain and Learning in China (2019)
