Syllabus
Link to pdf of syllabus here

The Neuroscience of Learning:

An Introduction to Mind, Brain, Health, and Education

 

Teaching Team

 

Professor:                  Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, Ph.D., Professor of Education and

                                    Neuropsychology and Educational Researcher, FLACSO Ecuador,

                                    Associate Editor, Nature Partner Journal, Science of Learning

                                    Email:  traceytokuhamaespinosa@gmail.com

                                     Web page: www.thelearningsciences.com

 

Teaching Fellow:       Julia Volkman, ALM, Founder/President Maitri Learning

                                    Email: juliav@maitrilearning.com

                                    Web page: www.maitrilearning.com/pages/learning-center

 

Teaching Fellow:       Drew Nelson, M.Ed., Harvard Graduate School  of Education in

                                    “Mind, Brain & Education” (2015) 

                                    Email:  allendrewnelson@post.harvard.edu

 

Student TA:               Cynthia Borja, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Psychology at

                                    the Universidad de Las Américas; Professor of Psychology,     

                                    Neuroscience, and Education; Founder/President of Fundación

                                    Mykah.

                                    Email: cynthia.borja.a@gmail.com                 

 

Class:                   Online-only Tuesdays 3:00pm - 5:00pm EST (Section dates as listed)

                             Live, synchronous attendance required at 10 classes (minimum)

 

Online Office       Every Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. EST (with Julia Volkman)

Hours:                  Every Thursday, 3:00pm - 5:00pm EST (with Drew Nelson)

                              Flexible, scheduled based on student needs (with Cynthia Borja)

                              By appointment with Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa

 

Course Description

This course provides an overview of the neuroscience of learning through Mind, Brain, Health, and Education science (MBHE), or the intersection of psychology, cognitive neuroscience, health and education. Fundamental biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors are introduced with an emphasis on critical functions related to learning and achievement across settings, age groups and concepts, such as epigenetics, sensitive periods, and neuroplasticity. In addition, factors that facilitate and roadblocks that inhibit optimization of learning are explored as we discuss key cognitive constructs (language, attention, memory, executive functions, affect/emotions), with special attention on comparative cultural influences on neurocognitive processes. These studies will be directly applied by each student in a semester research project conducted in an area of each student's personal interest.

 

Modality

This course follows an online, flipped classroom design. Recorded lectures and readings offer the theoretical background and core research findings related to the week’s topics, while class encounters, the discussion boards and final projects delve deeper into concepts and ideas as students unpack the information in authentic ways. For each class contact hour, students are expected to spend twice as much time preparing assignments, reading, researching, watching videos and interacting with classmates on the discussion boards.

 

MBHE Perspective

There are many factors (e.g., genetic, biological, environmental, interpersonal, and intrapersonal) that affect the dynamic process of development and learning across the lifespan. MBHE represents a transdisciplinary perspective that utilizes cutting edge research from neuroscientists, educators, health care practitioners, policymakers and other interested parties, to integrate evidence-based knowledge concerning how individuals learn and thrive. The fields that converge to form MBHE include Clinical and Cognitive Psychology, Neuropsychology (i.e., The Mind – cognition, emotion, behavior), Neuroscience, Neurophysiology (i.e., The Brain – electrochemical processes and the physical properties of the brain), Medicine and Allied Health (i.e., Health — physical, psychological, social, and emotional), and Education (i.e., pedagogy, didactics, and policy). The holistic approach offered through the MBHE perspective can be beneficial in addressing and treating day-to-day learning challenges and in permitting individuals to thrive as they maximize their own learning potential.

 

Course Goals

In this MBHE overview course you will gain a basic understanding of the dynamic and inextricable interaction of the brain, mind, and body with the environment and the implications of this interaction on health, development, and learning. We will:

• Explore the dynamic interplay of genes and environment.
• Examine how the brain develops from the prenatal period through adulthood, including the dynamic development of the mind and brain.
• Highlight the dramatic role supportive environments can play in development and well-being.
• Learn about brain research tools (including neuroimaging).
• Consider the impact of health, including protective and risk factors (e.g., physical activity, toxic stress), on development, learning, and well-being and the potential of neuroplasticity.
• Translate key course teachings into each student's’ own personal and professional practice.

The overarching goal is to demonstrate how MBHE principles apply to individuals at all developmental stages through varied life circumstances as well as to enhance professional interventions.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

Required Course Materials

Research articles, videos, and audio resources will be provided on the course website. Students will be required to have a computer with reliable, high-speed Internet access along with reliable audio and video capabilities. You must have microphone capabilities as well (headphones/earbuds with a microphone; headphones/earbuds are mandatory to avoid audio feedback during live class). This is a writing intensive course. Students are encouraged to use the Harvard University Writing Center frequently! This is a free resource and students in the past have benefited enormously from their support prior to submitting their written work.

 

“Bundles”: Bundles are virtual folders in the Harvard Canvas classroom that contain many links to resources on a specific topic, theme, or area of interest (e.g., dyslexia, meditation, attention, sleep, metacognition, etc.). They have been created over the years to give students a starting point from which to launch their personal Semester Projects and inspire them by showing the wide array of topics in each thematic unit. New bundles can be built with students, depending on their topics. If students do not find a bundle in their area of interest they are requested to let the teaching team know and work closely with them to develop one. While students must do their own research, these articles are meant to give them a start and a good point of reference about quality evidence acceptable for use.

Finally, while not required, the following books are recommended to understand human potential, learning, and appropriate interventions based on the MBHE model:

• Costandi, M. (2016). Neuroplasticity. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN: 9780262529334
• Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. New York, NY: Penguin.
• Doidge, N. (2015). The brain’s way of healing: Remarkable discoveries from the frontiers of neuroplasticity. New York, NY: Penguin.
• Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2014). Making classrooms better: 50 practical applications of mind, brain, and education science. New York, NY: W.W. Norton.

Link to Harvard Coop Bookstore to purchase any of the above: http://tinyurl.com/W18-PSYC-E-1609

 

Weekly Requirements:

The typical weekly learning path and assignments are outlined below and explained in the Intro video:

1. Pre-unit quiz (20 minutes)
2. Pre-unit readings/viewings (1-1.5 hours)
3. Discussion board post (20 minutes)
4. Live class (students must ‘attend’ at least 10 classes live/synchronously) (2 hours)
5. 3-2-1 questionnaire (completed in the last 5 minutes of each live class) (5 minutes)
6. Discussion board replies (20 minutes)
7. Repeat unit quiz (if necessary) (15 minutes)

If you require additional support due to different learning needs, including subtitles, contact the teaching staff.

 

Evaluation and Assessment

Grading is outlined in the following table:

Undergraduate Students	Graduate Students
Quizzes (25%) Class Participation (25%)     Discussion Board Posts (at least 13 of the 15 weeks) (25%)   Semester Project (25%)	Quizzes (25%) Class Participation during weekly classes (viewing all and attending up to 5 asynchronously), as well as viewing all sections and attending at least seven live (25%) Discussion Board Posts including additional resources (at least 13 of the 15 weeks) (25%) Semester Project (written plus 5- to 15-minute recorded presentation) (25%)

 

Quizzes (25%)

Short quizzes are used each week to help you measure your knowledge growth. Each week’s quiz must be taken before each in-class meeting. You are encouraged to retake each quiz (and receive a new grade that replaces the original grade) after each week’s work. It is possible to get 100 on every quiz if you take the time to correct errors. Students are asked to bring any quiz questions that are difficult or controversial to class to unpack and clarify concepts as a group.

 

Class participation in the Flipped Classroom (25%)

Class participation is required because of the flipped classroom model and because human beings learn best when they authentically apply theory to real life practice. Class will be offered on-line, synchronously (teacher and student are both live in the virtual classroom), every Tuesday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Students must attend the Tuesday class online and participate actively in class. To register participation, students need to (1) log into the online class, (2) participate in the online chat/discussion, and (3) complete a “3-2-1 questionnaire” on a special discussion board during the last five-minutes of each live weekly class. The quality of the 3-2-1 submission, along with chat board/discussion contributions will determine the class participation grade. Particularly insightful chatting and discussion during class earns bonus points towards the overall grade.

The teaching staff understands that sometimes other life commitments compete for class time, therefore, students must attend a minimum of 10 of the 15 classes live. That is, student may miss five of the fifteen live classes without lowering their grade, but will still have to watch the video recording of the class and complete the 3-2-1 questionnaire within 72 hours of live clas s. All classes will be recorded to allow for repeated viewings at any time by all students. If students miss more than five classes, however, their grades, and more importantly, their learning, will likely suffer.

“3-2-1 questionnaire”: This brief questionnaire asks you to identify three things you didn’t know before the class, two things you are going to share with someone else or continue to research because they are so interesting, and one thing you will change in your personal life or professional practice because of the information learned this week. All students must complete at least 10 (of the 15 synchronous/live classes) 3-2-1s – one for each regular class.

Sections: Most weeks include one or two online-only sections (offered at a separate time from class) that go into depth on a specific aspect of the class content. Graduate students are required to attend/view all sections; at least SEVEN of all offered sections must be attended live. Undergraduates are not required but highly encouraged to attend and/or view all sections. Like regular class, sections will also end with completion of a 3-2-1 questionnaire to help structure learning reflections. Graduates must complete at least seven 3-2-1s for the sections in order to complete this requirement. Undergraduates do not have to complete any 3-2-1s, but are encouraged to do this for their own reflection.

 

Weekly Discussion Board (25%)

Each week (at least 13 of the 15 weeks) you must write an original, 250-word (maximum) response to the posted discussion board question. Additionally, you must read and substantively reply to AT LEAST TWO other students’ posts. All posts must be submitted no later than each Monday at midnight EST (the night before class). However, early posts generally receive more feedback from fellow classmates and teachers, so students are encouraged to post early. The posts must be substantial, encouraging, constructive, and well-documented with evidence from the course readings and/or reliable outside sources. NOTE: All students must post in 13 of the 15 weeks at a minimum.

 

Semester Project (25%)

You will be asked to choose a topic of your choice within the field of Mind, Brain, Health and Education to focus on in-depth throughout the semester.

1. Submission 1: You must submit your topic choice, a summary of the sources upon which you will rely, and an explanation of your personal interest in, and context related to, the topic. You will need to refine this into a research question for submission 2. You will post this onto a special discussion board and must provide feedback to the Submission 1 posts of at least TWO other students.
2. Submission 2: This includes your revisions to Submission 1, a refined reference list, and your research question. Your research question will complete the following statement: “How and to what extent does x influence y?” You are trying to identify a problem or gap in the literature that will be answered by your research question.
3. Submission 3: This includes your revisions to Submissions 1 and 2 along with a summary of the key findings your research has uncovered and how these findings influence your own personal understanding of the topic.
4. Submission 4: This includes your revisions to Submission 1, 2 and 3 along with a statement of how will you apply these findings in your personal and/or professional life and what the implications of these findings are for others and the field.
5. Submission 5: Turn your revisions from Submissions 1, 2, 3 and 4 into your final, revised and perfected project. This must be posted on a special discussion board for peer review. Graduate students must include a video presentation of their final project along with the written Submission 5. You must also provide feedback to the final projects of at least TWO other students.

The first and last submission will also be posted on a special discussion board so that you can receive feedback from your peers. All students will receive feedback from both the teaching team and other students on their first and final submission. Everyone will have the possibility to further improve their projects and submit for re-grading within the time limits stipulated in class. Students are encouraged to take this opportunity to learn from this summative feedback process. Students are also motivated to review the video instructions posted in the Canvas room for each submission.

Format: Semester project submissions must be in APA format, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman. YOU MUST use the template provided in Canvas as a guide. Usually, your combined earlier submissions will lead to a final paper of approximately 10 pages.  If undergraduate students prefer to submit a video recording instead of the written Submission 5, they may do so with advanced permission from the Teaching Team. Undergraduate videos must be less than five minutes in length. For Submission 5, graduate students must submit both written as well as video presentations (5- to 15-minutes) of their semester project work. Other formats can be discussed with the teaching staff. If you are taking the class for non-credit, you may choose to do the Semester Project or not.

 

Graduate Students

In addition to the work indicated above, Graduate Students are required to do extra readings, include citations from additional resources in their Discussion Board posts, view all sections and attend at least half live (sections will be scheduled at varying times to accommodate student work/family schedules), and “present” their final project to the class via a 5- to 15-minute video which they will post to the Canvas classroom.

 

Policy on Late Assignments

We understand that school, home, and work schedules can sometimes be difficult to align. However, we must stress that the timeliness of your submissions is essential for your own ability to keep up with the amount of material presented in this course. The teaching team must also balance life requirements and has carefully arranged their schedules so that they can provide you with timely feedback. Late submissions compromise the health of this system.

1. All assignments submitted after their deadline automatically lose 10 percent off (-10%) the total possible score unless special arrangements were made in advance. Assignments that are more than two weeks late will not be graded.
2. Students may RE-submit assignments for re-grading up to two weeks after the original due date (only the highest grade will be kept).
3. The discussion boards will remain open throughout the semester for viewing and reference, but they will be closed for instructional feedback after announced times have elapsed.

Communication

Please use the Canvas classroom for all official communications, including emails to the instructional team if you need to discuss private matters.

Course  

Week	Topic	Date/Time
1	Welcome & Overview of Mind, Brain, Health, and Education Section: ●      Study skills and student resources (TTE)	Jan. 23, 2018, 3-5 pm EST Section: Jan. 25, 2018, 8-9 pm EST
2	Functional neuroanatomy—How does the brain work? Sections: Brain Basics (JV) Neurotransmitters (JV)	Jan. 30, 2018, 3-5 pm EST Section: Jan 31, 2018, 9 am EST Feb 1, 2018, 3-4 pm EST
3	Plasticity & Epigenetics Section: Neuronal Cell Types (EC video ONLY)	Feb. 6, 2018, 3-5 pm EST Section: Anytime between Jan 23-February 13, 2018
4	Neuro-Development: Ages, stages, and prior experience Section: Pre-natal neurodevelopment, includes genetic and environmental influences (JV/CB)	Feb. 13, 2018, 3-5 pm EST Section: Feb. 9, 9-10 am EST
5	Mindfulness and the Default Mode Network Section: ●      Mindfulness Practice (DN)	Feb. 20, 2018, 3-5 pm EST Section: Feb. 22, 2018, 3-4 pm EST
6	Metacognition & Theories of how the brain learns Section: ●      Neuromyths (TTE)	Feb. 27, 2018, 3-5 pm EST Section: Mar 1, 2018, 8-9 pm EST
7	Affective neuroscience Section: Emotions, Motivation, and Learning & The Power of Music (“Alive Inside”) (CB)	Mar. 6, 2018, 3-5 pm EST  Section: Mar 9, 2018, 9-10 am EST
	No Class: Spring Break	Mar 13, 2018
8	Language Sections: Dyslexia (JV) (recoded video) Bilingualism and Multilingualism (TTE) (recorded video)	Mar. 20, 2018, 3-5 pm EST Sections: Anytime, Mar 20-27
9	Executive functions Section: ●      Executive “dysfunction” (CB)	Mar. 27, 2017, 3-5 pm EST Section: Mar. 29, 2018, 9-10 am EST
10	Attention Section: ●      Important topic in attention, Consciousness (DN)	Apr. 3, 2018, 3-5 pm EST Section: Apr. 5, 2017, 3 -4 pm EST
11	Memory Section: Our frail and biased memory + The seven sins of memory (CB)	Apr. 10, 2018, 3-5 pm EST Section: Apr. 13, 2018, 10-11 am EST
12	Mind-body connection Section: Sleep and dreaming and their role in learning (TTE)	Apr. 17, 2018, 3-5 pm EST Section: Apr. 20, 2018, 8-9 pm EST
13	Theory of mind and cultural neuroscience Section: Cultural neuroscience (DN)	Apr. 24, 2017, 3-5 pm EST Section: Apr. 26, 2018, 3-4 pm EST
14	Neuroethics and future directions for MBHE No section this week	May 1, 2017, 3-5 pm EST
15	Course Review & Evaluation No section this week	May 8, 2017, 3-5 pm EST