3. Education

Question 1

plasticity and crit periods

Answer 1

<2yrs synapses form
2-6yrs pruning

crit period for plasticity with opening mechanisms and closing mechanisms
ocular dominance in cats and language crit period.
maybe crit period for sociability

diff brain regions/functions have diff crit periods. move from primary areas to association in devo (important for education intervention)

Question 2

sleep and exercise for learning

Answer 2

sleep makes memories last longer and inc. hippo activity
exercise inc. hippo volume and boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurogenesis in hippo

Question 3

curiosity and learning

Answer 3

curiosity activates dopamine circuit
higher curiosity = activity in nucleus accumbens and SN/VTA
also benefits memory and learning

Question 4

stress and learning

Answer 4

stress impacts emotion regulation (mPFC and amygdala), motivation (mPFC and VTA), and attention (lateral PFC and parietal)
meditation can reduce stress, improve att’n and connectivity in brain

Question 5

learning styles

Answer 5

no difference in test scores for learning style
but auditory learners did worse in both listen/read conditions (need to focus getting literacy to children)

Question 6

Autism and learning

Answer 6

sensory processing - decreased connectivity in sensory processing regions. help with sensory integration (introduce sensory in safe enviro)

info processing worse for social stimuli, social doesn’t reward as much as special interest (incorporate interests into learning concepts to enhance att’n and learning)