Neuroeducation
Neuroeducation is an emerging field which aims to take research from the fields of cognitive neuroscience, educational psychology, educational technology, and other related disciplines to inform the practice of education.
NeuroEducation's technical-scientific perspective is similar to Neuromarketing. The biological processes associated with NeuroEducation are exactly the same as those of Neuromarketing; however, NeuroEducation gives a greater focus on memory and learning processes. The remaining physiological processes that allow us to identify emotions are therefore complementary to the processes of memory and learning.
Is that math exercise complicated enough for that student? Is the student stressing at this level? Are we underestimating the cognitive abilities of another student, since he is in a normal state compared to the exercise in question? Personalization of teaching is increasingly the trend of education, so techniques of neuroemotions may help in this way.
We have already mentioned in Chapter 6 the various forms of memory, discussing the learning process. As noted, learning can be thought of as the way humans evolve to extract information from the physical and social worlds (Frith, 2007). However, we do not learn to read alone, we do not know math without being taught, we do not perceive science if we do not lay the foundations. It is in these aspects that neuroscience applied to pedagogy can help by monitoring the student's emotional states through heart rate, breathing or sweating. Signals that can be incorporated into today's smart watches.
In this sense, there is in education a challenge that seeks a practical application of neuroemotion in the classroom. Neuroscience along with psychology already helps to realize that learning can be affected by anxiety, attention deficits and poor recognition of social cues. All of these factors have a negative impact on the learner's learning ability, but also on classmates (Goswami, 2006).
Thus, in recent decades, a growing number of educational researchers have shown increasing interest in developing a new science of learning that can potentially contribute to evidence-based policy and practice in education. Neuroeducation studies, however, should be completely distinguished from previous ones such as “brain-based learning” or “brain-based education” that were common just a few years ago. That kind of language according to Ron Brandt (Bellanca & Brandt, 2010) may have been useful “to get educators' attention, but it has quickly become outmoded.” Brain-based education has been strongly criticized for promulgating misinterpreted, misconnected, oversimplified, and overgeneralized conceptions under neuroscientific facts.
Although neuromyths still persisted, the field of neuroeducation studies has experienced considerable progress over the last two decades. However, there is still much significant work to be done to stabilize and advance its disciplinary scope and boundaries. Some scholars in the field emphasize the issues and concerns pertaining to methodological considerations as one of the most promising and original ways to contribute to the further development of the field (Patten, Campbell, Stein, & Fischer, 2011). Howard-Jones (Howard-Jones, 2010) outlines the aims of neuroeducational research in two directions that are critically related to each other: to enrich and develop educational understanding and practice; and to further the scientific understanding of behaviors associated with learning. I have persuasively proposed a multi-perspective approach to integrating three types of biological, social and experiential evidence. This evidence is provided by three forms of scientific, bridging and practice-based studies with specific methods and techniques. Scientific studies focus on developing basic knowledge pertinent to educational concepts. Bridging studies investigate ways that knowledge can be used in more “real-world” educational contexts. And, practice-based studies translate these concepts into best practices that are transferable to educational practitioners.