New Horizons for Learning: News from the Neurosciences

photo of the book's cover Recommended Reading

The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning
by James E. Zull
Stylus, 2002
ISBN 1-57922-054-1

Who says brain research is not ready to apply to educational practice? Here is a book that does just that in a responsible, well-documented manner. Unlike many "brain books" the author makes no unwarranted leaps or assumptions from brain research to education, but rather this book is grounded in solid biological research and what really works in teaching and learning. Zull is a professor of Biology at the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education at Case Western Reserve University, and he has extensive background both as a teacher and as a scientist.

Zull notes that his main message is that "learning is change. It is change in ourselves because it is change in the brain. Thus the art of teaching must be the art of changing the brain." The author suggests that the biology of learning

(1) deepens our understanding of what learning is about. It gives us more light.
(2) It enriches teaching by making educational theory more real.
(3) It gives us better boundaries by recognizing not only the connection but also the separateness of teacher and learner by helping students to build their own learning experiences.
(4) It give us more ideas about using images and metaphors in our teaching, and
(5) it clarifies our values, respecting the diversity of learners in our classrooms.

This book shows clear connections between the biology of the brain and what happens during the complex processes of teaching and learning. It goes high on our list of books every teacher should own, study, and refer to frequently.

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