Learning and memory in the brain: a guide for teachers

Unit 1: Learning in the brain

• What neurons and synapses are, and their role in memory formation.

• The main brain regions implicated in memory and learning.

• The power of repetition and spacing for forming memories

• How old knowledge can boost the staying power of new facts.

Unit 2: Types of Memory

• The difference between short term, long term and working memory

• How working memory difficulties can impact student performance

• Different types of long-term memory, including explicit and implicit, and the brain regions involved

• How recall and recognition memory differ

• The importance of cues to help with recall

Unit 3: Brain changes through the ages

• How the infant's brain is primed for learning, and how different abilities mature at different times.

• The evidence for critical periods in human learning.

• The development of skills and thinking abilities across childhood

• The importance of tailoring learning to developmental stages

• The teenage brain and its implications for teen behaviour

Unit 4: Neurodiversity

• Our current understanding of the brain basis of common learning differences including Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD and Dyslexia

• How the neurodiversity model differs from the medical model of learning differences

• How teachers can support every student to reach their full potential

Unit 5: Evidence based teaching

• Overview of some historical teaching methods and the evidence for them

• Current best-practices in evidence-based teaching and learning

• A variety of memory boosting techniques, and how they might be applied in the classroom