© Copyright 2012 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice.
Neuro Science of Learning
Surya Prakash Mohapatra
How the Brain Learns
• Brain cells are called neurons.
• You are born with at least 100 billion neurons.
• Dendrites (fibers) grow out of the neurons
when you listen to/write about/talk about/
practice something.
• Dendrites can grow only from a dendrite
(fiber) that is already there – from something
the learner already knows.
How the Brain Learns
• Like twigs on a tree dendrites can grow only
from a twig or branch that is already there.
• Then like twigs growing on a tree, learning is
constructed, higher and higher
At the Core, Learning is Change..
Learning changes the physical structure of the brain and results
in its organization and reorganization.
Reflection is necessary for
insight formulation. Insights
fuel the creativity and
innovation that are pre-
requisites for success in
today’s competitive market.
Reflection
Creation is the point at which
the learner shifts from
receiving and absorbing
information to creating
knowledge in the form of
abstractions such as ideas,
plans and concepts.
Creation
Active Testing allows the brain
to make the abstract concrete
by converting mental ideas
into physical events—into
action.
Active Testing
To increase learning
effectiveness, learning
solutions should allow for
gathering, reflection,
creation and active testing
within the learning process
itself.
The power and duration of
learning is proportionate to
how many regions of the
brain are engaged. The
completion of the entire cycle
is required for true change in
behavior and performance.
The Social Brain
Brain and Emotion
Games work by promoting an emotional
response to learning based on uncertain
reward. Games and other immersive
experiences can stimulate the reward
and pleasure centers of the brain. Games
work by promoting an emotional
response to learning based on uncertain
reward. This stimulation of the brain’s
reward system is important because it
can make learning more likely to occur.
Surgeons with a history
of playing video games
made 37% fewer errors
in tests of their surgical
skills
Brain and Memory
LEARNING THEORYBRAINS
RECALL OVER TIME
0 %
25 %
50 %
75 %
100%
Am
ou
nt
Recall
ed
1 day
BRAINS
HOW TO KEEP REALL HIGH
20 %
75 %
100 %
Am
ou
nt
Rem
em
bere
d
1 dayTime
To Long
Term
Memory
Review
24 Hour
Review
1 Week
Review
1 Month
Review
6 Months
Brain and Attention
Conditions for Brain to Learn Effectively
“I never teach my pupils; I
only attempt to provide the
conditions in which they
can learn.”
— Albert Einstein
Brain-based Design PrinciplesPrinciples
Engage the entire learning cycle. Make time for reflection, creation and active testing.
Make a connection with the learner’s prior knowledge and experience.
Create opportunities for social engagement and interaction as part of the learning process.
Engage both feeling and thinking
Actively attend to attention—gaining, holding and focusing the learner’s attention.
Engage a maximum number of senses—especially visual—when designing learning.
Neuroscience and Learning
Present-Demo-Practice-Feedback Gather-Reflect-Create-Test
Content-centric Learner-Centric
Explanation Discovery
Information Meaning
What How
Teachers Learning Networks
Receiving Meaning Creating Meaning
Set Content Dynamic Content
Start with What we (Trainers) Know Start with they (Learners) Know
Training Learning
Information silos Connected Information
Vision for the Future
AGES- A Model for Learning
A- ATTENTION
G- GENERATION
E- EMOTION
S- SPACING
Focused concentration on the task or concept without distractio
Learner to have direct interaction with the learning task to generate their own thinking
Emotional cues associated with the learning task
Adequate time gaps for new learning to be digested, consolidated and rehearsed