Effective science instruction requires knowledge of subject matter and scientific practices (Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), 2013), as well as the context within which learning occurs (Anthony, Hunter and Hunter 2014). For science teachers, there is often a tension between the efficiency of lecture and student engagement that comes with…

The brain organizes somatosensory experience based on the body location from which it originated and the pathway by which in arrived. Here, I present a classroom discussion-based activity centered around the concept of a phantom limb to allow students to explore how cortical representation of sensory experience can be altered. The goal of the…

The learning model should be able to improve student's learning abilities. The Brain-Based Whole Learning (BBWL) model is one of the alternative learning models that can improve students' retention achievement, supported by scientific literacy and concept mastery. This study aims to determine the effect of the BBWL model on students' scientific…

Currently, it is taken for granted that teachers have to take into account the conceptions in order to achieve some efficient learning, the latter are generally resistant and may hinder the learning. Studies have shown that learning amounts to make conceptions evolve which play a determining role in the appropriation of scientific concepts such as…

Background: Animations of scientific concepts may improve comprehension by explaining and visualizing the steps of complex processes, but unless they engage student interest in meaningful ways, their effectiveness as teaching tools is limited. We achieve this through a novel approach to animation design that includes the target audience…

Research from brain science and the learning sciences support the notion that human cognition is grounded in our sensorimotor engagement with the physical world and that processes of learning can be shaped by our movements and actions. Increasing recognition that effective educational interventions can be seeded with embodied actions is paralleled…

A Muscle-Computer Interface (muCI) is a human-machine system that uses electromyographic (EMG) signals to communicate with a computer. Surface EMG (sEMG) signals are currently used to command robotic devices, such as robotic arms and hands, and mobile robots, such as wheelchairs. These signals reflect the motor intention of a user before the…

The field of neuroscience has been evolving constantly and at a rapid pace in the recent past. Consequently, neuroscientists have put forth a wealth of knowledge in relation learning and education in general. In this context, how can we as educators benefit from the emerging evidence from neuroscience so that we can take a significant step forward…

In this commentary, I build on recent interdisciplinary models for embodied cognition with additional perspectives from affective neuroscience, educational psychology, creativity theory, and science education. I invoke William James and John Dewey, pioneers of an embodied philosophy of mind, alongside recent affective neuroscience theory about the…

In this study, we reviewed 76 journal articles on employing drawing assessment as a research tool in science education. Findings from the systematic review suggest four justifications for using drawing as a type of research tool, including assessment via drawing as (a) an alternative method considering young participants' verbal or writing…

One important focus for science education researchers over many years has been the attempts to replace students' commonsense and non-scientific explanations of various phenomena by scientific explanations. The approach we adopted almost three decades ago was conceptual mediation, and this was shown to have a considerable level of success with…

"Virtual Clinical Trials" simulations were designed to highlight neuroscience research and reinforce experimental design through the recreation of published clinical trials. This paper reports the effectiveness of "Virtual Clinical Trials" simulations in improving knowledge of concepts related to the experimental design process…

This essay considers whether the neuroscientific concepts of conceptual blending (from cognitive linguistics) embodiment and analogy offer insights into why and how drama-based pedagogies strengthen classroom learning. Pilot writing samples from eight-and nine-year-old students suggest that conceptual blending is enhanced through drama-based…

The last couple of decades have seen an enormous development in the study of embodied cognition through the investigation of conceptual mappings, such as conceptual metaphor and conceptual blending. Initially, this progress was achieved at a theoretical level, and more recently through empirical research in basic science--from psycholinguistics,…

People find it easier to learn about topics that interest them. Recent neuroscience research has demonstrated that memory is improved when learning material about which we are curious. Therefore teaching in the context of what students are interested in should result in improved learning. How do we figure out what our students are curious about?…