ON-LINE ISSUES

V.5 N.1, August 1999

Eric Jensen (1998).
Teaching with the Brain in Mind.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Pp. 135.
ISBN #0-87120-299-9.
US $21.95

Reviewed by Karen Goodnough
karenwarr@roadrunner.nf.net

Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning Department
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto

Introduction

In a short 131 pages, Eric Jensen, the author of Teaching with the Brain in Mind, presents a clear and concise overview of current research findings in the field of neuroscience. The book interweaves theory and practice, resulting in a very informative account that serves as an ideal starting point for teachers and other educators who want to learn more about how the brain works and the potential implications of this knowledge for teaching and learning.

Review

New findings in the field of neuroscience and Jensen’s interpretations of these findings, as they apply to classroom practice, are presented in a very responsible manner. Jensen advises educators to become more informed about current brain research, elucidating their understanding of brain physiology, brain functioning, and brain development and the role of music, emotions, memory, attention, chemicals, and movement in learning. Because there is no direct link between brain research and pedagogy, Jensen believes educators should be discerning and critical when applying the findings of neuroscience to their teaching and learning contexts. They need to ascertain, through inquiry and validation in their own classrooms, the potential of different brain-based approaches for enhancing student learning.

Each chapter discusses current neuroscience findings and concludes with practical suggestions for how this research can be applied to classroom practice. The revolutionary brain-compatible model of teaching and learning is in stark contrast to the older, behaviourist paradigm of learning based on rewards and punishments. The brain-compatible model draws on many disciplines. It is a comprehensive, all-encompassing approach to exploring the human brain and how it works.

The beginning chapters of the book outline the various ways (experiments with animals, clinical trials, new technologies, and autopsies) humans learn about the brain and how the information garnered from this research can be interpreted. As well, Jensen explains how parents and educators can play integral roles in preparing very young children for learning before they enter school. Subsequent chapters examine what the research says about the connection between learning and enriched environments, attention, threats and stress, emotions, movement, how the brain creates meaning, and memory and recall.

Throughout the book, some fundamental principles of brain-compatible learning emerge. For example, brain-compatible learning suggests that the brain can be nurtured by providing “enriched environments for learning.” Creating enriched learning environments is premised on the brain’s natural need to make sense out of experience and to establish connections between new learning and what is already known. Indeed, brain-based approaches to teaching and learning are consistent with many other student-centred conceptions of teaching and learning - authentic assessment, constructivist learning, multiple intelligences theory, problem-based learning, to name a few. To create enriched learning environments, educators must provide the appropriate levels of challenge for students and many opportunities for these students to receive feedback about their learning. If students are given more choice in what they learn and learning experiences are diverse and varied, the conditions for enrichment can be established. Jensen’s advice is to “enrich like crazy.”

In addition to providing enriched environments, educators need to understand the effect that threat and stress can have on learning. Sustained threat and stress can severely impair learning by inhibiting higher-level thinking. Under threatening and stressful conditions, the brain downshifts, relying on lower cognitive functioning such as memorization.

Jensen examines the critical role emotions play in thinking and learning, as well. Extremes of emotion in learning are inappropriate, as is a total lack of emotion. Emotions need to be engaged productively through activities such as celebration, role-playing, classroom rituals, and introspection.

In brain-compatible learning settings, educators seek to engage students’ attention. However, the brain functions very poorly when it is required to attend for continuous chunks of time. The brain needs time for processing what it learns, but it cannot attend and process simultaneously.

In some of the older paradigms of learning, to increase the likelihood of a behaviour’s occurrence, the behaviour was reinforced. Likewise, to eliminate undesirable behaviours, these behaviours were either ignored or punished. Brain-compatible research has shown that external rewards are not effective as motivators to learn. Although motivation is context-specific, educators need to foster the conditions that will lead to intrinsic motivation - eliminate threat, practice goal-setting with students, influence students’ beliefs about themselves (helping them establish positive self-images), and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback.

Just as rewards and motivation can have a pronounced impact on learning, the strong connection between the body and mind and learning in brain-compatible classrooms needs to be recognized. At one time, the mind and body were thought to be separate entities. In reality, they are integrally connected and should be purposely integrated into the curriculum.

Another critical aspect of learning is memory. Jensen provides a clear delineation between different types of memory (explicit and implicit memory pathways) and how this knowledge can be used to enhance memory retrieval and understanding.

All aspects of brain-compatible learning, as mentioned previously, can impact the brain’s ability to make sense of occurrences or events or, in other words, to create meaning. The brain is a natural meaning-maker. Educators can foster richer learning by making the learning personally relevant, engaging emotions appropriately, and helping the brain recognize and establish patterns.

This very readable book provides a balance between theory and practice. Jensen grounds practical classroom applications in what neuroscience research is saying about the brain. Reading this book will provide the “know-how” for fostering active learning that recognizes the uniqueness of each learner’s brain.