Brain-Compatible Learning Environments: What Are the Advantages?

Brain-based learning started in the 1970s as a means to understand the interworking’s of the brain and how this would aid in education. This paper will review the advantages of brain-compatible learning environments by first discussing what brain-based learning consist of, the relationship between the brain and student learning, the advantages of brain-compatible learning environments, how these environments can be implemented, brain-compatible teaching methods and how we can measure the success of brain-based learning. “Brain-based education is best understood in three words: engagement, strategies, and principles. Brain-based education is the engagement of strategies based on principles derived from an understanding of the brain.” (Jensen, 2008) Brain-based learning focuses on how the brain can best learn the content being taught. Brain-based learning recognizes that the brain does not learn in a linear fashion like how must schools are structured today. A brain based learning environment focuses on social connections and motivation to encourage learning. Students learn best when presented with challenges and are encouraged to come to conclusions on their own regarding the content being taught. Not everyone learns as the same pace and brain-based learning environments must accommodate for this by incorporating techniques that allow for non-linear learning.
How we learn is complex and no two brains learn the same way, however there is a basic learning process all brains follow. Input is received through the thalamus while at the same time being sent to other processing areas (e.g. visuals to occipital lobe and language to the temporal lobe), this allows for immediate action if the information is urgent and is perceived as a threatening situation. The brain creates a quick interpretation of the data it takes in; if the data is interpreted as threatening the amygdala is triggered which then engages the sympathetic nervous system. Non-threatening data is

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