The Science of Learning

The module takes place over 10 weeks with a two-hour face to face session each week. These sessions will combine expert input with regular opportunity for learners to apply concepts and methods to real-world contexts, including their own. This will be supported by examples, case studies, discussion and participatory pedagogic research.  The face to face sessions will be supported by reading, video and on-line material and will be interactive, using elements of team-based learning (TBL) to help students learn independently and from each other. Typically, a taught session would require some independent study of the available resources in advance and would include individual and group activity in the classroom. Each of the three theoretical approaches (neuroscience, psychology and sociocultural) will be introduced and then used as a theoretical lens to examine educational practice and your experience. For each approach you will also have a chance to participate in educational research techniques typical of that approach. For example, you may undertake memory testing tasks used by neuroscientists and complete learning inventories or confidence scales used by psychologists. You will also experience observational study of both video material and your own practice as used to investigate education in a sociocultural context.

Each of the three theoretical approaches will have a short assignment based around you applying the theoretical lens to examine an educational topic of interest and relevance to you, which will be submitted for formative feedback.  You will do three of these formative tasks applying the three different theoretical lenses to the same or different areas of teaching and learning relevant to you. You will receive feedback on each task as the module progresses; these tasks will then form the basis of a final summatively assessed task which integrates the three previous formative submissions and draws some brief final conclusions or recommendations. This final assessment will be a group presentation using two or more examples from the groups’ formative assignments to present a comparative study using the theoretical lenses to analyse the teaching and learning and formulate recommendations. This may be done as a ‘live’ presentation or by presenting a short video. In addition to this all students will complete a short reflective diary of their learning throughout the module. This will both inform the assignments and will be used to give a mark for individual insight and engagement.

This module will introduce ideas and theories from neuroscience, psychology and socio-cultural views of learning using interactive delivery combining individual independent learning using reading and online support materials with interactive lecture delivery. This will be supported by examples, case studies and discussion.  The approach is designed to help you better appreciate how you and your peers experience learning, and through this develop greater insight and evidence for a range of learning strategies.  You will be exposed to a variety of methodologies used to explore, measure, and understand learning and will participate in simple educational experiments commonly used in each of the three approaches. You will engage in individual and group learning tasks, you will receive and provide regular peer feedback and will get feedback on the regular formative assignments that will build towards a final group presentation. Whilst the primary aim of the formative assessments is to aid your learning each caries a proportion of credit, so you can build your final mark as you progress.