Developing Minds in the Digital Age
Towards a Science of Learning for 21st Century Education
This book highlights new scientific research about how people learn, including interdisciplinary perspectives from neuroscience, the social, cognitive and behavioural sciences, education, computer and information sciences, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and engineering. These new developments offer fascinating new perspectives, based on technological advances, which enable a re-examination of longstanding problems in learning, raise new questions, and offer new approaches to the study of learning. This report seeks to catalyse discussions on the implications of these research findings for education practice and policy, and in turn, on how knowledge and experience from real-world education practice and policy could challenge and inform research agendas and theory building.
Neuroscience and education: How early brain development affects school
Research on young children reveals their extraordinary ability to learn. Early learning prepares children to succeed in school and is a key factor in enhancing education worldwide. Regarding language and literacy, high quantity and quality of language addressed to young children, and parents’ use of the speaking style called “parentese”, are associated with advanced early language skills and reading readiness in children at the age of 5 years. Brain imaging on young infants demonstrates the importance of social interaction for the growth of language. Translational science on “parent coaching” for children’s language skills resulted in significant increases in both parental language to infants and language skills in children. A method and curriculum created for teachers to enhance early bilingual language learning ignited dual-language learning in infants aged 7 months to 3 years with 1-hour per day of instruction. Scientific studies of children’s minds and brains can positively affect education policy.
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