Brain-Based Learning: Definition, History, and Principles

Brain-based learning uses neuroscience to create an informed curriculum and lesson design.
The goal? Speedy and efficient learning. The research that informs this method centers around
the brain’s ability to change, remap, and reorganize itself while someone is learning new
information, according to Education Reform. This ability is influenced by things like exercise,
diet, and stress level. A person’s emotional state also impacts their learning ability.
When information is presented in effective ways, the brain is able to function better, its
resilience is increased, and its overall working intelligence is improved. Research has also
shown that the brain physically changes while learning. Thus, the newer skills are practiced, the
easier learning becomes.
Using this research as a springboard, teachers implement brain-based learning principles in the
classroom. They specifically focus on reducing stress, effectively delivering material, increasing
students’ movement, and building in opportunities to practice. While the principles remain the
same no matter the age of a student, people do begin to learn differently as they mature. So,
the delivery methods of these principles adapt accordingly.
History of Brain-Based Learning
Neurological research gained momentum in the 1990s. Up until this point little was known about
neural pathways, and the left and right brain theory, introduced in the 1960s, was decades old.
From the 1990s up to the present day, scientists have discovered more about the brain than in
all other centuries combined, according to the Global Digital Citizen Foundation.
In 1994, Geoffrey Caine and Renate Nummela Caine’s research concluded that students had
increased retention and understanding of topics when in a brain-based teaching environment.
Since then, brain-based learning has become a more common practice in schools.
Principles
The core principles of brain-based learning follow. Each principle lays out a formula for better
retention and learning among students.
Health and Exercise
The more active and engaged students are physically, the better their learning outcomes. This
requires more than a midday recess or a walk between classes. Allowing students to take
walking breaks during lessons and throughout the day, for example, revitalizes students,
increases their attention span, and better prepares them to retain information.
Positive Emotions
The happier students are, the more they are willing to learn and think effectively. Affirmations
from the teacher are one way to raise student self-esteem.
Group Work
Working in teams with classmates allows students to learn from one another. This helps them
retain information they may not have accepted or understood from the teacher.
Peer Teaching
When students teach materials to their peers, it helps them retain that same information. This
can be done in small groups or through presentations.
Practice
Learning through repetition and trial and error is more effective than simple memorization.
Students will gain a better understanding of the subject through practice, rather than just
memorizing the details.
Limited Lectures
Only 5 to 10 percent of information is retained during a lecture, according to Class craft. Making
lessons largely discussion-based promotes student learning.
Meaningful Information
Students are more likely to remember information if they are engaged with the lesson. By
applying the material to their lives, students will find it meaningful. For example, a lesson on
economics could be related to smartphone ownership.
Written and Verbal Information
Having students both write and verbalize information will help move it from their short-term
memory to their long-term memory.
Stimulation
Catching students’ attention through humor, movement, or games stimulates their brains’
emotional center. In turn, this increases students’ engagement and processing of information.
Less Stress
Stress chemically changes the brain. In a calm classroom environment, students have the
opportunity to perform at higher levels.
Benefits of Brain-Based Learning
The benefits of brain-based learning follow the principles. These include:
Health. This approach promotes health and exercise, boosting the overall fitness and wellness
of students.
Better psyches. Positive affirmations and limited criticism help students feel good about
themselves and view themselves in a positive manner.
Cooperation. The more group work students do, the more they learn how to cooperate and
compromise.
Improved memory. Overall, brain-based learning helps students build their memories and
retention. The peer-teaching principle, in particular, leads to increased memorization and
understanding of information.
Teachers experience another major benefit from this approach: more than one strategy works.
This teaching and learning style aren’t a one-size-fits-all experience. Teachers can apply
multiple strategies following the principles, making it likely they will experience results with their
students.

Classroom Application
As it has multiple strategies, brain-based learning also has many classroom applications. For
example, both verbal and written information can be included in lessons, which boosts retention.
Hands-on activities can also be created, such as providing students with physical clocks to learn
time.
Another application is modeling assignments on real-world challenges students experience. For
example, when teaching about percentages, a shopping activity can be set up. Each item could
be on sale and the student challenged to calculate the sale price before they can be rewarded
with it. This activity can also be done in groups where they have a budget to follow. This helps
them learn problem solving and critical thinking all in one activity, moving outside the lecture
and into practical applications of the lesson.
It’s important to note that not all strategies work for all students. Regularly trying new
approaches and working through trial and error is the best way to begin implementing brain-
based learning in the classroom.
Advance Organizer
What is an advance organizer?
Advance organizers are tools to aid your students’ understanding of new information by
connecting it to already existing knowledge.
Prior to delving into a topic or lesson, would have your students completed an advance
organizer? While many advance organizers fall under the category of graphic organizers, you
can also use text-based organizers.
Why should you use an advance organizer?
Advance organizers accomplish several things:
• they allow teachers to assess students' prior knowledge
• they help students organize existing knowledge
• they pull relevant information into working memory, allowing the students to connect
new information with existing information (known as priming)
• they provide students with a tool that can aid in reflection and metacognition

What are different types of advance organizers?

There are multiple types of advance organizers. Some types of advance organizers - narrative,
expository, and skimming - focus more on previewing and organizing new information before
presentation. However, we want to focus on organizers that tap into students pre-existing, or
prior, knowledge. These types of organizers typically fall under graphic, KWL, or analogies and
metaphors.
Graphic organizers
Graphic organizers can help compare and contrast, show relationships, illustrate order or
process,
and organize into categories. Some example types include, but are not limited to:
• comparison and contrast chart
• concept maps
• Venn diagram
• fishbone
• flow charts
• chains
• cycle
Know-Wonder-Learn (KWL)
A K-W-L is an advanced organizer and lets you know about students’ background knowledge.
Ask students to divide a sheet of paper into three columns: K, W, and L.
K = What you already KNOW; W = What you WANT to know; L = What did you LEARN.
Students fill in K and W columns before beginning the lesson. Ask students to share them
responses before beginning the lesson. The L column is filled in at the end of the lesson and
can
be collected as a tool to know what students took away from the day’s lesson.