Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/2-1-3-5-steps-by-the-university-of-birmingham

[Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [Teacher CPD](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd.md) › [CPD: Cognitive Science for Teachers Level 2 - Seneca Certified Educator](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator.md) › 5 Steps by the University of Birmingham

# 5 Steps by the University of Birmingham

CPD: Cognitive Science Level 2, topic 2.1.3

## Bridging Neuroscience and Education

An interesting article was published in 2010 by University of Birmingham researcher Jodi Tommerdahl.

### The big question

![The big question](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/courseImages/chemistry/2.3.4%20Nanotechnology/question-mark-2492009_640-min.jpg)

- Is neuroscience useful to educators?
 - Yes. 
- Tommerdahl argues that there is great potential in how neuroscience research can benefit teachers and students in schools.
 - However, she warns that we need to be careful when translating the laboratory findings into the classroom.
- Brain sciences are the initial step in improving learning in the classroom, but there are several other steps in between.
- Neuroscience findings need to be linked to social, political, and historical factors.

### The 5 steps

![The 5 steps](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-02/24a7145a-9741-45d7-9922-568a88aede80/steps-1081909_960_720.jpg)

- In her article, Tommerdahl defends that we should follow five steps to bridge neuroscience and education.
 - 1. Neuroscience.
 - 2. Cognitive neuroscience.
 - 3. Psychological mechanisms.
 - 4. Education theory.
 - 5. Classroom.

### Neuroscience X CogSci

![Neuroscience X CogSci](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/498a13f0-460d-40b7-8d19-a284b16101e3/brain-mri-pet-imaging.jpg)

- We need to distinguish between neuroscience and cognitive neurosciences. The first is concerned with the pure biological factors in the brain - the synapses and the cells.
- The latter tries to relate neural activity that underpins cognition and cognitive processes, such as memory, emotional processing and decision making.

### CogSci X Psychological mechanisms

![CogSci X Psychological mechanisms](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/a55d7d79-949d-4ca2-8559-4286416ca449/connection-brain-neuron-link-think-.jpg)

- We also need to distinguish between cognitive neuroscience and psychological mechanisms. 
- The distinction being that the first studies the physical brain, whereas the latter studies “the mind". 
- This differentiation, however, is arbitrary and historical and more related to how the two fields see the same phenomenon of cognition.

### Educational theory

![Educational theory](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/b40ca521-1c43-4aff-a115-382c195f1bda/book-holy-quran-.jpg)

- Then, we have educational theory. Researchers here will develop learning theories based on the neurological and psychological findings from the previous steps. 
- Here, learning will be segmented into more functional areas related to skills and knowledge that students learn. 
 - For example, learning vocabulary of a foreign language will have a different educational theory than learning science in someone’s native language.

### Teachers

![Teachers](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/e4dc28ad-27f8-4c91-8820-1dc5aed3fbcc/teach-teacher-learn-.jpg)

- Tommerdahl says that it would be unreasonable to expect that all teachers base their teaching in the first two fields. 
- However, she argues that it should be expected that teaching and learning in schools derive from recent findings in educational theory.

### Classroom

![Classroom](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/52ff45bc-f284-40bc-a16f-5e2904b2aa9f/shutterstock_309239105.jpg)

- Lastly, we have the classroom step. Here, teachers and schools will implement research to their classroom and closely monitor the effects that these new strategies have on pupils. 
- All feedback should, then, return to the early steps so the hypothesis can be revisited and improved.

## Test yourself on 5 Steps by the University of Birmingham

- According to Jodi Tommerdahl, from the University of Birmingham: Is neuroscience useful to educators?
- What are the 5 steps, according to Tommerdahl, to bridge neuroscience and education?
- What are the steps necessary to bridge neuroscience and education?
- Which of these is more likely to be studied by neuroscientists than by cognitive scientists?

[Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/aebdbb79-c863-4eca-ab3f-31e5120f5fb0/section/37b3566a-d212-45a2-aea9-62707ed52c37/session)

- Previous topic: [2.1.2 3 Steps by the George W. Bush’s Institute](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/2-1-2-3-steps-by-the-george-w-bushs-institute.md)
- Next topic: [3.1.1 Optimum Interleaving](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/3-1-1-optimum-interleaving.md)

## CPD: Cognitive Science Level 2 contents

### 1 Important Educational Researchers Currently
- 1.1 Interesting Current Educational Researchers
  - [1.1.1 Mary Myatt](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/1-1-1-mary-myatt.md)
  - [1.1.2 Daisy Christodoulou](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/1-1-2-daisy-christodoulou.md)
  - [1.1.3 Alex Quigley](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/1-1-3-alex-quigley.md)
  - [1.1.4 David Didau](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/1-1-4-david-didau.md)

### 2 How to Have an Evidence-Informed Classroom
- 2.1 How to Have an Evidence-Informed Classroom
  - [2.1.1 6 Steps by the Evidence Based Teachers Network](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/2-1-1-6-steps-by-the-evidence-based-teachers-network.md)
  - [2.1.2 3 Steps by the George W. Bush’s Institute](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/2-1-2-3-steps-by-the-george-w-bushs-institute.md)
  - [2.1.3 5 Steps by the University of Birmingham](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/2-1-3-5-steps-by-the-university-of-birmingham.md)

### 3 Interleaving
- 3.1 Optimum Interleaving
  - [3.1.1 Optimum Interleaving](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/3-1-1-optimum-interleaving.md)

### 4 Curriculum
- 4.1 Cognitive Sciences and SEND
  - [4.1.1 Cognitive Sciences and SEND](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/4-1-1-cognitive-sciences-and-send.md)
- 4.2 Curriculum Design
  - [4.2.1 Curriculum Design](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/4-2-1-curriculum-design.md)
- 4.3 Christine Counsell: Senior Curriculum Leadership
  - [4.3.1 What is Senior Curriculum Leadership](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/4-3-1-what-is-senior-curriculum-leadership.md)
  - [4.3.2 The Curriculum as a Narrative](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/4-3-2-the-curriculum-as-a-narrative.md)

### 5 Future Questions
- 5.1 Future Questions
  - [5.1.1 Future Questions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-cognitive-science-for-teachers-level-2-seneca-certified-educator/5-1-1-future-questions.md)