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Brain-Based Learning 5
in small groups and then offered to the entire class. These techniques and more are dis-
cussed in greater detail in later chapters of this book.

BRIGHT I DEA
Facilitator Preparation
o understand and apply concepts of brain-based learning to training and
Teducation programs effectively, you must be aware of what research has found
and how it impacts learning. Explore brain-based or brain-compatible learning on
the Internet. Also, attend conferences and workshops and read books and articles
on the topic, such as those listed in the Resources for Trainers section in the
appendices.

THE DYNAMIC BRAIN

Although it is impossible to condense everything that scientists and researchers know
about the human brain and learning into a single chapter, several important concepts per-
tinent to understanding the brain, learning, and memory are highlighted in these pages.
Recent decades have brought forth an exciting era of neuroscientific (life science that
deals with anatomy, physiology, and biology of nerves
related to behavior and learning) and cognitive re-
search (related to factual data and knowledge) into
the composition of the brain and how it func-
tions. This brain-based or brain-compatible
learning research has uncovered a wealth of
insight into how the human brain devel-
ops, thinks, learns, and retains informa-
tion. From the research, we have learned
much about the physiological structure of
the brain, what impacts brain develop-
ment, and ways that learner motivation
can be influenced. Researchers regularly
explore the role of such factors as gender,
age, body rhythms, emotions, and envi-
ronment in shaping our reactions to stim-
uli and thinking.
Research also indicates that the human
brain is a wonderfully complex organ that con-
tinues to grow, evolve, and learn as a person ages.
“Perhaps the most potent feature of the brain is the