There’s no better way to unwind after a hard day of thinking than to curl up with a relaxing book about learning and the brain. Right?
Although the books reviewed here have been around for awhile, I chose them because they influenced my understanding of learning, instruction and intelligence in a powerful way. I wanted to share in case you haven’t read them yet.
The Art of Changing the Brain
Author James E. Zull will prove to you that neurons physically change as people learn. Why should you care? Because the author, a science professor and dedicated educator, uses this knowledge to radically change the way he teaches. And he gets good results.
As a professor, Zull stopped using the lecture format. He learned that effective teaching starts with the learner’s knowledge rather than the expert’s. He also began using teaching methods that promoted understanding rather than memorization.
His principles are applicable to all types of learning design. He explains learning and the brain like this: knowledge resides in powerful neuronal networks. Instruction must build on these existing networks.
Furthermore, learning is based on the brain’s plasticity to add or lose synapses or to change the strength and pattern of its signaling. In essence, changing the brain involves “recognizing the existing neuronal networks in a learner and inventing ways for her to use them.”
The Art of Changing the Brainย is filled with gems, such as:
- Working memory is for completing tasks.
- Concepts and broad principles should be developed from specific examples.
- Prior knowledge is a gift to the teacher; it tells us where and how to start.
Using a wonderful mix of science and stories from the trenches, Zull walks the reader through his own evolution as a teacher. He brings the learning cycle to life, showing how it relates to various parts of the brain. Through this lens, you will explore how to promote learning through sensory experience, active participation, integration with previous knowledge, and reflection.
The Tell-Tale Brain
In The Tell-Tale Brain, author V.S. Ramachandran, shows us what it means to be human from the perspective of neuroscience. The author, director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at UCSD, highlights the inner workings of the brain by drawing conclusions from individuals with abnormal neurological conditions.
The central neuroscientific puzzle he seeks to solve, is what makes humans unique compared to the great apes. The challenge? Every anatomic region of the human brain has an analog in the brain of the great apes. Therefore, the author delves into the handful of brain regions that “have been so radically elaborated that at the functional (or cognitive) level, they actually can be considered novel and unique.”
Ramachandran explores mirror neurons, which automatically simulate the actions of others. Mirror neurons also allow us to read people’s intentions and to anticipate next actions. Through this, he hypothesizes, humans developed capabilities for social learning, imitation and the transmission of culture.
He also explains brain plasticity, based on his research with amputees who experienced “phantom limbs.” Contrary to the common view that plasticity is only available to babies and children, the author provides excellent proof that the malleability of the human brain lasts through a lifetime.
Other topics that The Tell-Tale Brain examines include: how we process visual information neurologically, the link between perception and emotion, synesthesia, autism and the development of the integrated self, language development, aesthetics and transcendence. With an improved understanding of how the brain works, you may apply some principles to learning and the brain. Though you may find yourself disagreeing with certain theories or taking offense at his occasional out-of-place comment,ย this book does provide a fascinating look at the brain through compelling stories and science.
On Intelligence
This book explains a fascinating theoretical framework for how the brain generates intelligence.
Author Jeff Hawkins invented the Palm Pilot and then turned his intelligence to neuroscience. In this book, he teams up with science writer Sandra Blakeslee, and perhaps this is why the book is so accessible.
To reach his goal of creating intelligent machines, Hawkins has devoted 30 years to understanding the workings of the brain. He hopes to build machines that work on the principles of the newer brain, the neocortex. Fortunately, we can benefit from his research and theorizing.
On Intelligence uses concrete analogies to help the reader picture the brain. For example, the author writes that the neocortex is as thick as a stack of six business cards. Also, if stretched out, t’s around the size of a dinner napkin. This gives us a shared understanding of the neocortex from the start.
At the core of his approach to intelligence is a contrarian theory that comes from a paper published in 1978 by Vernon Mountcastle. The theory states that “the cortex uses the same computational tool to accomplish everything it does.” This stunning and simplistic idea means that there is a single algorithm at use in all parts of the neocortex, no matter its function. Ponder that for awhile. The theory goes on to say that the brain is affected by the type of input that flows into it, which causes functional specialization.
Using this as a basis, Hawkins explores how the brain passes information up and down a hierarchy that devotes more signals to feedback than to top-down processing. Ultimately, he builds a theory of intelligence that centers on prediction. “Prediction is not just one of the things your brain does. It is the primary function of the neocortex, and the foundation of intelligence.”
The book is well-written. Hawkins takes the reader along his scientific journey, making theoretical discoveries along the way. In the process, you may be persuaded that his theories are not only plausible, but probably correct.
Do you have other brainy book recommendations? Please share below.
Connie Malamed says
Yes, great suggestions. Thanks, Brian.
Brian Tarr says
Steven Pinker’s “How the Mind Works” and Daniel Dennett’s “Consciousness Explained” are both fascinating reads. (I see Leslie already mentioned Oliver Sacks’s “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” โ another good one by Sacks is “An Anthropologist on Mars”.)
Like Leslie, I should mention that these books aren’t education-focused, but IMHO are real eye-openers. ๐
Connie Malamed says
Thanks for the recommendation, Julia.
Julia says
What Intelligence Tests Miss: The Psychology of Rational Thought. Stanovich, Keith E.
Critics of intelligence tests have argued in recent years that these tests neglect important qualities such as emotion, empathy, and interpersonal skills. However, such critiques imply that though intelligence tests may miss certain key noncognitive areas, they encompass most of what is important in the cognitive domain. In this book, Keith E. Stanovich challenges this widely held assumption.
Tom Richard says
If you are looking to develop training, courseware, etc. according to how the brain works … just Google “Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction” and you will find a plethora of information. I have referred to them over my almost 20-year career in instructional design and they are as relevant today as when I learned them in grad school. These “events” are NOT based on any particular educational / instructional technologies, but understanding them will help you in chosing the most effective technology to support your audience in achieving the intended outcomes.
Connie Malamed says
Good selection, Jim. Thanks!
Jim Goldsmith says
Another interesting book on the topic is “Brain Rules” by John Medina. Using an entertaining and sometimes surprising prose style, Dr. Medina shares twelve principles or “rules,” many related to learning, to shed light on the human brain. Among the insights shared are: multitasking is a myth; men and women’s brains are different; vision is, by far, the dominant sense; like fingerprints, each brain is unique, etc. Worth a read.
Connie Malamed says
Thank you, Leslie! Please let us know of any other resources you come across.
Connie
Leslie says
P.S. Just stumbled across this, too:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL021C6C4EE6369EC4
Only one appears to be directly related to learning and I haven’t watched any yet, but they might provide some additional leaping-off points.
Leslie says
Hi, Connie
Great post! I’m always keen to find new resources on this kind of thing so thanks for writing these up. I’ll definitely look into them once I’ve worked my way through the 786 books in the corner of my apartment! ๐
Re: recommendations…
* Edward de Bono was my first introduction to this kind of stuff, about 20 years ago and while not ALL of his stuff hits the mark, I certainly recommend a LOT of his stuff.
* At university I read Oliver Sacks’s book “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat”, which isn’t education-focused, but does give some fascinating insights into how the brain works — especially for people interested in languages and memory function.
* A few years ago I read “The Brain that Changes Itself”, which I HIGHLY recommend.
* One of the case studies in that book was Barbara Arrowsmith who wrote “The Woman Who Changed Her Brain” and runs a school based on neuroscientific principles.
——
@Serena… I will definitely check that one out, too.
All the best,
Leslie
Connie Malamed says
Thanks for the recommendation, Serena.
Serena says
Absolutely “The brain at school: Educational Neuroscience in the classroom” by John Geake ๐