Thursday May 27th

Utility of Neuropsychology in the Educational Field: Challenges in Neuroeducation

Esperanza Vergara-Moragues, Luis Miguel García Moreno, Laiene Olabarrieta-Landa

Workshop description:

Currently there is a growing interest in the relationship between neuropsychology and education. But, can we really talk about how neurosciences can change the way of teaching in the classroom? Can we say that the knowledge of how an infant brain works can help the students acquire educational skills in a more efficient way? Is there a masterful formula to be able to foster the learning capacity of students? What can we say is true about everything that the prefix “neuro” carries with it in regards to education? In short, what are the challenges that are currently found in the field of neuropsychology applied to education?

In this workshop we will talk about the confluence between neuroscience and education where there are some erroneous conceptions that are accepted about brain functioning and its influence on the improvement of learning. These false beliefs are called “neuromyths”. Throughout this workshop, some of the most common neuromyths in the educational field will be described, and it will be explained why they arise and how to avoid them. Also, the importance of considering cognitive processes in the educational environment will be discussed. Specifically, we will describe how the development of executive skills in the educational field is going to allow students to face the personal, academic and social demands of the school environment. The training of these skills has been revealed as an effective tool to facilitate the adaptation of students in this context. And, finally, throughout the workshop the importance of verbal fluency will be explained, its cognitive and cerebral bases will be described, and the indexes that are usually considered for its qualification. Likewise, its usefulness in the educational environment will be explained showing examples of the differences in verbal fluency of students with special educational needs and the importance of considering in the neuropsychological evaluation not only the quantitative aspects but also the qualitative ones to approach the specific needs of each person.  

Learning Objectives

At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Reflect, explain and know what are the fundamental contributions of Neuropsychology applied to education. Know which ideas, derived from empirical research in the field of neurosciences have been shown to be effective in promoting learning and differentiate them from the so-called neuromyths.

• Understand the relationship between executive functioning and academic and social skills. To identify incipient executive skills and design activities aimed at their training.

• Demonstrate the importance of verbal fluency tests when determining the cognitive profile of the student.