A Brief Introduction to Brain-Based Learning Theory
Paul Wasko – Fall 2006
Hamline University – Explorations
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The following reflection paper is an attempt to help the reader gain some
preliminary insight into a relatively new theory of education: Brain-based learning.
However, the reader should realize that the scope and depth of brain-related research is
vast so the content of this reflection paper should be considered simply an “introduction”.
Setting the Stage – It's All in Your Mind!
Ever hear the statement “It's all in your mind!”? When it comes to understanding
brain-based learning theories then it truly is “all in your mind.” Theories about the brain
and its role are not new. Going back to almost 400 B.C. Plato believed the brain to be the
the seat of mental processes. However, it is during the past twenty years that brain
research has exploded onto the learning theory scene helped in part by marvelous
technology advances.
To say that this particular topic is “hot” could be considered an understatement.
During the '90s we had the “Decade of the Brain” (see http://www.loc.gov/loc/brain/ ) as
called for by President Bush. Over the past three years Time magazine has had almost
ninety articles that include references to the “brain” and “learning.” Since 2004 the
Society for Neuroscience has sponsored a “Brain Awareness Week” with the 2007 event
scheduled for March 12 – 18 (see http://www.sfn.org/baw/ ) with activities scattered
throughout the globe.
Defining Brain-based Learning
Brain-based learning focuses on the assumption that the structure of the brain and
its physiology, impacts how one learns. A term that is frequently associated with brainbased learning is “neuroplasticity “ that Wikipedia defines as “the changes that occur in
the organization of the brain, and in particular changes that occur to the location of
specific information processing functions, as a result of the effect of learning and
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experience.” (November 2006, paragraph 1) Provided there is no brain damage due to
disease or accidents, the brain then can literally re-wire itself when it is confronted with
new stimuli at any age. Hence, we can discard the line “can't teach an old dog a new
trick” since when in fact, the brain can readily accept new tricks.
Core Principles of Brain-Based Learning
Another way to understand the fundamental aspects of brain-based learning is to
understand the key precepts that define work around this learning theory. A great deal of
the research literature references the “Twelve Principles.” Descriptors of these principles
often varies from author to author but the most frequently quoted set of principles
originates with the Caine and Caine (2005) who defined these principles as follows:
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All learning engages the physiology.

The brain/mind is social.

The search for meaning is innate.

The search for meaning occurs through patterning.

Emotions are critical to patterning.

The brain/mind processes parts and wholes simultaneously.

Learning involves both focused attention and peripheral perception.

Learning is both conscious and unconscious.

There are at least two approaches to memory.

Learning is developmental.

Complex learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat associated
with helplessness and fatigue.

Each brain is uniquely organized.
Caine and Caine also identified specific learning capacities that can assist teachers to
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better define strategies for engaging individual learners. Examples of these capacities
include: engaging each learner's individual style and uniqueness or engaging a learner's
ability to perceive both details and the larger view for a particular topic.
Implications for teaching
The research highlights a number of brain-based implications for the teaching and
learning environment. The literature points toward establishing learner-centered
environments within the school and classroom settings. Learner-centered in this context
refers to focusing on the what, why, and the learning output. Examples include: filling
classroom space with interesting visual stimuli, providing lots of examples, and helping
students to see how lessons may fit into a larger pattern of work. This concept of
immersing learners in complex and interactive environments is a key aspect that is
helping to drive significant investments by higher education in the areas of gaming and
simulations.
Research Tools – “Techno Bling”
If one is into technology and learning theories then brain-based research is where
one will feel most at home. Research tools include: Computed Axial Tomography
(CAT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(fMRI), and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans. (Sample images of these
different scanning technologies can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_scan .)
These tools allow researchers to peer into the structure of the brain at work – learning for
example. Prior to these technologies the only way researchers could examine brain
structure is during the course of an autopsy – clearly not the most effective way to track
active learning processes within an individual.
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“Limits” of Learning
There is an old cliché that goes “the sky's the limit”, perhaps given the almost
infinite complexity of the brain and its neuron connections the cliché should really go
“the skull's the limit.”
Resources
Brain Awareness Week. Society for Neuroscience. 4 Nov. 2006
<http://www.sfn.org/baw/>.
Bransford, John D., Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking, eds. How people learn:
Brain, mind, experience, and school committee on developments in the science of
learning. National Academy P, 2000. New Horizons for Learning. 30 Oct. 2006
<www.newhorizons.org>.
Caine, Geoffrey, and Renate Caine. Caine Learning Institute. 4 Nov. 2006
<http://www.cainelearning.com/>.
"Neuroimaging." Wikipedia. 1 Nov. 2006. 4 Nov. 2006
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_scan>.
"Neuroplasticity." Wikipedia. 19 Oct. 2006. 4 Nov. 2006
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity>.
Project on the Decade of the Brain. 3 Jan. 2000. Library of Congress, National Institute
of Mental Health. 4 Nov. 2006 <http://www.loc.gov/loc/brain/>.
Roberts, Jay W. "Beyond Learning by Doing." The Journal of Experiental Education 25
(2002): 281-285. Academic Search Premier. Hamline University. 30 Oct. 2006.
Keyword: brain-based learning.
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Taibbi, Christopher. "The Issues: Teaching with the Brain in Mind." PBS TeacherSource.
PBS. 5 Nov. 2006 <www.pbs.org/teachersource>.