Unit name | Cognitive Neuroscience and Classroom Practice |
---|---|
Unit code | EDUCM0078 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Professor. Howard-Jones |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Education |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
With the advent of new technologies such as neuroimaging, science has been revolutionising our understanding of how, when and why learning occurs. This unit equips students with the ability to take a critical approach to informing educational practice with recent insights from the natural sciences. It is informed by cutting edge research carried out at the University of Bristol in this area, and suitable for those concerned with learning across the full range of ability and across the lifespan.
The unit supports students in developing the skills required for generating and implementing a scheme of work informed by the science of learning, and to critique their plans in terms of their educational appropriateness and the scientific validity of the rationale. In this way, the unit provides opportunities for students to consider their own professional practice as educators, in relation to current understanding of the learning brain.
The aims of the unit are to
By the end of this unit students should be able to:
Classes will involve a combination of lectures, class discussion, case studies, debates, critical analysis pf key readings and group presentations. In addition to delivering and discussing core content, classes will also encourage a critical focus on the teaching methods used, in the light of concepts encountered on the unit. Throughout the unit, students will be expected to critically engage with readings and draw on these when contributing to class activities.
ELearning approaches will augment face-to-face teaching to facilitate individualised study and support within the broad parameters of the unit and the programme. These will include: on-line discussion, online supervision and peer mentoring/feedback.
Formative assessment will arise from group discussions and presentations of initial ideas for the assignment, in terms of the unit of work identified, the proposed pedagogical approach and its underlying scientific basis.
The summative assessment will comprise two parts:
i) Students will be required to provide a poster presentation outlining the scheme and pedagogical approach for a unit of work, with a rationale for its design that is informed by an up-to-date and critical understanding of how the brain learns (1000 words equivalent, 25%, Learning Outcome 4)
ii) Students must provide an essay that sets out their chosen pedagogical approach and critically reviews the scientific validity of its theoretical basis, its alignment with educational understanding and research, and any practical issues involved with its implementation. This review should i) consider the educational relevance of the scientific concepts and suitable limitations on their interpretation, ii) indicate where common misconceptions associated with the scientific concepts may arise and address these, iii) consider critically the extent to which the scientific concepts are aligned with educational research and theories regarding the proposed pedagogical approach and iv) critically consider the educational value provided by the scientific understanding. (3000 words, 75%, Learning Outcomes 1,2,3,4)