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Has Neuroscience entered the Classroom? - EDU00079M

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  • Department: Education
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

The module aims:

  • To develop students’ knowledge and understanding of learning in the educational context from the scientific perspectives of mind and brain.
  • To enhance understanding of the impact of education and learning on the brain processes underlying cognition and language.
  • To enable students to critically analyse a range of sources from neuroscience, psychology and education, and the overlaps between these disciplines.
  • To support students in examining several common neuromyths in the light of the relevant neuroscientific and educational evidence.
  • To develop fundamental knowledge and understanding of neuroimaging data acquisition and analysis techniques (primarily fMRI), with application to the study of language.
  • To enable students to examine current approaches to educational intervention focusing on the importance of developing evidence-based tools.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content

  • Knowledge and understanding of the different levels of explanation i.e. biological, cognitive and behavioural as they apply in Mind, Brain and Education contexts.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the basic parameters of brain development in the cognitive skills critical for Education (e.g. how the brain functions and changes during the development of reading and maths).
  • Basics of Neuroimaging tools and methods (EEG, fMRI, Eye-tracking).
  • Contributions of Neuroscience in addressing educational problems (e.g. the usefulness and neurobiological grounding of the discrepancy criteria to classify learning difficulties like Developmental Dyslexia).
  • Current debates on the relevance/usefulness of Neuroscience in Education.

Academic and graduate skills

  • The ability to analyse and critically evaluate the ways in which theories and data from differing disciplines (i.e. Psychology, Neuroscience and Education) can inform each other and enhance understanding (in this case, of learning and Education).
  • The ability to generate new evidence and test ideas through designing and conducting research involving quantitative and neuroimaging methods.
  • The ability to work proactively and autonomously to select and manage information in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to educational topics.
  • The ability to use Mind, Brain and Education information to engage effectively in academic debate.

Module content

Lecture Content

The following outline is representative of the lectures that will be given but may be subject to small changes.

Lecture 1: Mind, Brain and Education: Has Neuroscience entered the classroom?

  • How Science meets Pedagogy
  • The evolution of Educational Neuroscience
  • Its current impact on Teaching and Learning

Lecture 2: Mind, Brain and Education Methods I

  • An introduction to Neuroimaging Tools
  • EEG: The Basic Principles
  • EEG: Data Analysis

Lecture 3: Mind, Brain and Education Methods II

  • MRI: The Basic Principles
  • MRI: Data Analysis

Lecture 4: Mind, Brain and Education Methods III

  • Eye-tracking: The Basic Principles
  • Eye-tracking: Data Analysis
  • Designing a Neuroimaging Study
  1. Cognitive comparison strategies
  2. Stimulus presentation possibilities
  3. Technical aspects (e.g. signal to noise ratio; spatial & temporal resolution etc.)

Lecture 5: Mind, Brain and Education Contributions: The Speaking Brain

  • Neuroscience and spoken language development
  • Neuroscience and Bilingualism/Second Language Acquisition
  • Implications for Education and Teaching

Lecture 6: Mind, Brain and Education Contributions: The Reading Brain

  • Neuroscience and written language development
  • Neuroscience and developmental dyslexia
  • Implications for Education and Teaching

Lecture 7: Mind, Brain and Education Contributions: The Mathematical and Computing Brain

  • Neuroscience and mathematical cognition
  • Neuroscience and dyscalculia
  • Implications for Education and Teaching

Lecture 8: Mind, Brain and Education Contributions: The Emotional Brain

  • Neuroscience and emotional development
  • Neuroscience and Stress
  • Implications for Education and Teaching

Lecture 9: Mind, Brain and Education Current Debates

  • Neurohit or neuromiss?
  • Debunking Neuromyths
  • Implications for Education and Teaching

Formative assessment: poster plan (submission deadline to be confirmed by module tutor - 0% of module mark)

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

Individual written feedback reports for summative assessments, with follow-up tutor meeting if necessary. The feedback is returned to students in line with university policy. Please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information

Indicative reading

Sousa, D. (Ed) (2010). Mind, Brain & Education: Neuroscience Implications for the Classroom. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Della Salla, S. & Anderson, M. (Eds) (2012). Neuroscience in Education: The good, the bad and the ugly. Oxford: Oxford University Press.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.