Learning and Memory: Understandings from Educational Neuroscience

This course introduces the unique human brain. It also provides an overview about the central nervous system, limbic system, and neuroplasticity. Social interaction is key to how emotions signal and initiate the processing and placement information in the brain. This course will provide an overview of memory formation and learning. It will also focus on the brain's response to different emotional and arousal state. Students will be able to see how the limbic system's amygdala can imbue memories and events with emotional meaning. It can also trigger fear responses that go beyond the rational processes in the prefrontal cortex. This can lead to the prefrontal cortex being hijacked by stimuli such as anger and chronic stress. We will discuss the effects of stress on learning, memory, and authentic assessment forms to promote content retention.