Tracey Noel Tokuhama-Espinosa

Harvard University Extension School · Faculty of Arts and Sciences FAS (PsycE1609 Neuroscience of Learning)

For two decades, the field of Mind, Brain and Education (MBE) has shed light on learning mechanisms. However, the direct involvement of young learners in the design and creation of research projects, while steadily emerging, is still rare. More researchers are beginning to see the benefits of co‐construction of not only research questions but also...

Recent advances in pedagogical research have called attention to the dynamic nature of the teaching and learning process in which the actors mutually influence one another. The understanding of how this works in the brain—the specialized neural networks related to this process—is often limited to neuroscientists but are slowly becoming available to...

While there is a growing interest among teachers to embed Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) knowledge in their practice, most are still not clear about the key concepts in the field that have the potential to improve their pedagogical knowledge. The present study was conducted to identify the domains of current MBE knowledge that are important for t...

Problem-solving skills are highly valued in modern society and are often touted as core elements of school mission statements, desirable traits for job applicants, and as some of the most complex thinking that the brain is capable of executing. While learning to problem-solve is a goal of education, and many strategies, methodologies, and activitie...

Mind, Brain, and Education science is a very young field, though it has roots in thousands of years of academic reflection. This book is a brief but critical look into the key turning points in the field’s evolution and the existing initiatives in order to project its future directions. It draws on information from all major branches of the learnin...

We proposed that an athlete’s depressive symptoms may be different from the general population in etiology if considered from the context of a depressive disorder. By shifting focus from a limited notion of symptoms onto a comprehensive model of depression, the full scope of the phenomenon becomes clearer. This paper investigated the relationship b...

The paper has been peer reviewed but was not published as the ethical standards in the country where the data was analyzed did not meet the ethical standards of the international journal. As post-facto IRB approval was not sought, the paper remains unpublished.

Language and Mathematics are cornerstones of all educational programs and are vital to both an individual’s success as well as his or her country’s competitiveness. Despite their importance, there is no consensus on the best order or methods to teach early math and language, or even if these are necessary at all. Contributions from neuroscience are...

The Learning Sciences, and specifically Mind, Brain, (Health), and Education science, contribute to our understanding of the teaching-learning dynamic. This brief (8,000 word) article captures the highlights of human understanding about the brain and its role in learning from ancient civilizations to the present.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current initiatives in the field of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) science that have potentially impacted the teaching-learning dynamic. Previous research, including a 2007-2008 International Delphi Panel on Mind, Brain, and Education, and a 2017 International Delphi Panel 10-year follow-up (Tokuhama-...

Technology has advanced our understanding of the learning brain over the past few decades, offering insights that can improve education. Scientific discoveries have increased rapidly since the 1990s (dubbed the “decade of the brain” in the United States) thanks to huge investments in neuroimaging techniques, which allow a more accurate view of huma...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current initiatives in the field of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) science that have potentially impacted the teaching-learning dynamic. Previous research, including a 2007-2008 International Delphi Panel on Mind, Brain, and Education, and a 2017 International Delphi Panel 10-year follow-up (Tokuhama-...

Neuromyths are misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and/or misuse of scientific findings, which place false limitations on learning potential and/or falsely promise improvements in intellectual abilities. Scientific advancements are both the cause and partial solution to neuromyths. This study reviews the history of neuromyths, where they come fr...

The learning sciences clarify how people learn best under which conditions and how human variability influences outcomes. Despite great advancements in some learning sciences over the past 30 years, there has been relatively little change in educational science, a sub-field of the learning sciences. To determine why knowledge from the learning scie...

Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) science is by definition transdisciplinary. However, the communication and collaboration between constituent disciplines needed for true transdisciplinarity remains relatively rare. Consequently, many of the potential benefits of MBE science remain unrealized for parties on all sides of the discipline. The present c...

The learning sciences clarify how people learn best under which conditions and how human variability influences outcomes. Despite great advancements in some learning sciences over the past 30 years, there has been relatively little change in educational science, a sub-field of the learning sciences. To determine why knowledge from the learning scie...

Neuromyths are false beliefs, often associated with teaching and learning, that stem from misconceptions or misunderstandings about brain function. While belief in neuromyths has been established as prevalent among the general public and K-12 teachers, literature about neuromyth belief among higher education professionals (instructors, instructiona...

We (I and Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa) have presented a brief historical development of MBE in this volume, as we believe the important part of dealing with the future of the field is a firm recognition of the varied nature of its past. In the final chapter, we have speculated on several areas that are likely to reflect changes in the field of Mind, B...

Of all levels of education, university instruction has been the slowest to adjust to the times. This paper documents the successful instructional design format of a course offered in the Harvard University Extension School in Spring 2016 called The Neuroscience of Learning. In addition to offering specific content, this course also sought to take a...

La metodología MingaLibro (cuyo nombre incorpora el término “minga” que hace referencia al ambiente festivo de trabajo colaborativo, tradición precolombina cuyo término proviene del kichwa mink’a, definido por la Real Academia Española como: “reunión de amigos y vecinos para hacer algún trabajo gratuito en común”), en su primera edición da origen a...

This chapter critically considers the role that insights from research in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (the study of the neural underpinnings of developmental changes in psychological functioning) might play in teachers’ pedagogical knowledge. The chapter reviews key findings in neuroscience with implications for learning, such as functiona...

Hay una conexión directa entre la calidad de la educación, el desarrollo de un país, su estabilidad económica y el bienestar del individuo (Blundell, Dearden, Meghir, & Sianesi, 1999; De Gregorio & Lee, 2002; Hanushek, 2013; Hanushek & Woessmann, 2012; Hays-Jacob, 2010; Nica, 2012; Psacharopoulos & Patrinos, 2004). En el año 2012, el Gobierno del E...

There is a boom of new information related to bilingualism and the brain that is contributing to a paradigm shift in some aspects of teaching in formal school settings. In one sense, this new information tells us what not to do: that is, there is now a great deal of evidence out about myths or untruths related to the brain and language that influen...

El problema Se sabe que la instrucción temprana en matemáticas es beneficiosa: “Los niños que aprenden los fundamentos de matemáticas en la etapa preescolar y en el kindergarten tienen las mejores posibilidades de logros escolares. Pero con demasiada frecuencia, los niños no reciben la instrucción de calidad necesaria que puede hacer esta diferenci...

Antecedentes El Proyecto Regional de Educación de la Coordinación Educativa y Cultural Centroamericana (CECC/SICA) propicia actividades de producción y difusión de conocimiento sobre factores relacionados con la enseñanza de la lectura y matemática, que posiblemente se asocien con el fracaso escolar, medido en indicadores de repetición, extra edad...

2007), que muestran que al recibir estímulos del ambiente, el cerebro pasa primero los estímulos por un filtro de memorias emocionales, antes de pasarlos por un filtro de memorias de otro tipo. Esto significa que toda la información que recibimos del mundo es juzgada primero a nivel emocional, y luego a nivel racional. La influencia de cómo sentimo...

Abstract Neuroscientists think about cells. Psychologists think about frames of mind. Educators think about students. A Mind, Brain, and Education scientist can think on all three levels, and as a result has more viable and effective solutions than other professionals concerned with the teaching-learning process. This article considers some of the...

Abstract The complex problems faced in education today need equally elaborate solutions. This article explains how Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) science combines perspectives from neuroscience, psychology and pedagogy that contribute to a better understanding of how humans learn, and consequently, how we should teach. Better than neuroeducation,...

Abstract The history of how we teach is fascinating. By understanding not only how people learn but also how we have learned how to teach, we can become better professionals. In this article we review the history of human learning and the progress of teaching over the past 5,500 years. The following is an excerpt from Mind, Brain, and Education Sci...

Abstract If the combination of neuroscience, psychology and education (“Mind, Brain, and Education science) is the way we should approach teaching from now on, what exactly are the lessons we can apply to the classroom? This article looks at five well-established facts whose evidence points to better teaching practices. The following is an excerpt...

Abstract The history of how we teach is fascinating. By understanding not only how people learn but also how we have learned how to teach, we can become better professionals. In this article we review the history of human learning and the progress of teaching over the past 5,500 years. The following is an excerpt from Mind, Brain, and Education Sci...

Discoveries about the brain can help teachers individualize learning. But first we must sort the truth from the hype. Designing educational experiences without an understanding of the brain is like designing a glove without an understanding of the human hand. This analogy is attributed to Leslie Hart, pioneering author on brain-compatible learning...

RESUMEN ESTADO ACTUAL • En países desarrollados, el promedio de la población que tiene el título de doctorado o PhD es de 0.5%‐3.5% • En países de la Región Andina, el promedio de la población que tiene el título de “doctorado” o PhD es de menos de 0.1% • Ecuador tiene 372 PhDs registrados, en una población de 14.000.000 de habitantes (equivalente...

Al analizar el estado actual del Ecuador en relación a otros países del mundo en cuanto al nivel de interés por parte de niños y jóvenes por la ciencia y la tecnología, se llegó a concluir que dos tipos de factores juegan un rol importante. Primero, mientras que en las sociedades con un alto nivel de desempeño en diferentes indicadores de ciencia y...

The scientifically substantiated art of teaching: A study in the development of standards in the new academic field of neuroeducation (mind, brain, and education science)