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GLOSSARY INQUIRY: BRAIN-BASED LEARNING (NEUROSCIENCE)
Brain-based learning theory is focused on the structure and function of the brain and posits that as long as the brain is not prohibited from fulfilling its normal processes, learning will occur.
How the brain works has a significant impact on what kinds of learning activities are most effective. The most important contribution from neuroscience in this regard is that the brain is not a computer. The structure of the brain's neuron connections is loose, flexible, "webbed," overlapping and redundant. It's impossible for such a system to function in a linear, computer-like manner. Instead, the brain is better described as a self-organizing system.
When educators take neuroscience into account, they organize a curriculum around real experiences and integrated, "whole" ideas. Plus, they focus on instruction that promotes complex thinking and the "growth" of the brain. Teachers must immerse learners in complex, interactive experiences that take advantage of the brain's ability to parallel process.
See related terms: Self-Organization.
