Research School Network: Wellcome – Supporting Teachers with the Science of Learning

Wellcome exists to improve health for everyone by helping great ideas to thrive. Our education team is committed to making inspiring, high-quality science education available to all young people. In 2014, we launched the Education and Neuroscience Initiative in partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation.

The initiative aims to:

· develop and evaluate evidence-informed teaching and learning practices based on neuroscience

· support teachers to better understand and access research on the science of learning, and use it to improve their practice.

The three projects outlined below are part of our work to connect teachers with research on the science of learning:

The Science of Learning Zone

@imascientist

The Learning Zone will be a six month online engagement between teachers / neuroscientists / psychologists and educational researchers, where teachers can engage in discussion with researchers on fortnightly topics relating to learning in the classroom.

The Learning Scientists

@AceThatTest

The Learning Scientists are developing podcasts and running monthly Facebook Live events on the Science of Learning. The podcast is enabling teachers to engage with our material in a new format that has been very popular in the 21^st century and is convenient for those with busy lives. In our Facebook Live events, teachers are able to submit their questions to us both prior to the event and in real time during the session, so we are in direct contact with teachers answering their questions with up-to-date information from research. Both formats are helping more UK teachers gain access to research on learning, and help teachers become responsible consumers of research on learning.

Massive Open Online Course

@STEMLearningUK

This course explores how teachers can use the science of learning to improve student academic outcomes in STEM subjects. Learners will address the question ​“what is learning?” The course draws on educational neuroscience and psychology, to help interpret learning and behaviour in their class. The course supports teachers to reflect on their practice, to improve their approach and be better informed about how students learn. Students will benefit from teachers’ improved understanding of the plasticity of the brain, or with exposure to some of the ideas in the course will be better placed to understand their own learning potential. Learners will discuss insights, in particular combating neuroscience myths and being better placed to justify why certain teaching approaches are effective.