Chapter 7 -Transdisciplinarity

The Ethics and Organisation of Educational Neuroscience

Understanding the Brain: The Birth of a Learning Science

Disciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity.

Disciplinarity is increasingly insufficient

The divisions between disciplines are becoming less logical

What would drive the merging of discipline areas? To form a new discipline ( transdisciplinarity)

• KRO – access to digital devices as ubiquitous therefore need to explicitly identify and justify a particular practice involving digital technology that might impact on the brain e.g externalising memory, NVC
• P133 ‘ a more comprehensive understanding of learning’

Implications for methodology

Unique methods

Plurality of methods

How to evaluate data collected using new and many methods

Bidirectionality

P132 ‘ neuroscience brings a new dimension to learning’ (KRO- in what way?) ‘educational knowledge could help direct neuroscience research towards more relevant areas’

P136 ‘learning is an active, socio-culturally mediated process. From a neuroscientific perspective, learning occurs as a cascade of molecular events resulting in structural modification with significance for subsequent learning. If the two are brought together, learning can be described as a series of mediated socio-cultural adaptations of brain structures with functional consequences’

P140 ‘The reciprocal relationship will sustain the continuous, bi-directional flow of information necessary to support brain-informed, evidence –based educational practice’ i.e. ‘research findings shape educational practice, and practical results, in turn, refine research goals.’

How to evaluate transdisciplinary research?

KRO – is there progress in the parent disciplines?

P148 ‘ be cautious when transferring results from controlled laboratory settings to the complex classroom’