Neuroscience and Education

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/P_MNEURED

Course Objective

The aim of the course Neuroscience and Education is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to (critically) evaluate and conduct research at the interface between neuroscience, psychology and education.

Course Content

Many scientists, teachers and policymakers share the belief that scientific knowledge of how the brain develops and learns is relevant to the educational practice. Yet, implementing neuroscientific findings in the classroom is by no means straightforward. This elective will highlight insights from (developmental and cognitive) neuroscience and psychology that are relevant to educational practice, and will try to bridge the gap between these different fields. Students will learn how to integrate diverse methodological approaches, ranging from the highly controlled laboratory experiments to approaches with more ecological validity. During the entire course, students are encouraged to critically reflect on different examples of how neuroscientific findings can be applied to education. In this context, the course will specifically discuss the proliferation of neuromyths and the ethical issues arising from the neuroeducational approach. As such, the aim of the course is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate and conduct research at the interface between neuroscience, psychology and education.

Teaching Methods

Lectures and tutorials

Method of Assessment

Written exam with open-end questions (50%); research proposal (50%)

Literature

Scientific articles, to be announced on Canvas