| CODE | EDU5927 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Neurocognitive Foundations of Development and Learning | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Faculty of Education | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will explore the neurocognitive foundations of development and learning and will be divided into two parts. Part one will deal with neurocognitive development and the second part will focus on the effects of cognitive neuroscience on learning and interventions with emphasis on neurofeedback in education. Study-Unit Aims: The importance of Neuro-science on development and learning can no longer be neglected in the study of persons with learning difficulties and/or with mental health problems. This study-unit will therefore seek to first explore the neuro-cognitive basis for learning and impairment while the second part will seek to focus on the effects of neurofeedback on learning and teaching and mental health problems. This study-unit therefore seeks to assist the students in achieving an understanding of basic neuro-cognitive processes underpinning learning and mental health problems. These are perception, motor development, memory and attention and emotions and language. During the second part, the study-unit seeks to help the student in achieving an understanding of the effects of neuro-science on learning and teaching and the implications that these have on teaching methodologies and a critical analysis on the literature available on the effects of neurofeedback on students' learning processes in schools (especially on those with learning difficulties and anxiety), on performance enhancement (sports and the performing arts). Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Demonstrate an understanding of the neurodevelopment of cognitive processes with a focus on perception, memory, attention, motor control, and executive functions; - Be introduced to an overview of the current state of understanding of complex brain functioning from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience; - Comprehend through theoretical sessions the mechanisms by which neural processing generate voluntary actions; memory, thinking, problem solving, language and emotion and learn how these capabilities malfunction in persons with malnutrition, brain injury, mental health problems and socio-cultural deprivation; - Appreciate how diverse research findings in combination can generate interesting hypotheses about how the brain functions; - Develop a framework for taking into consideration the influence of contexts on children with learning difficulties; - Be introduced to the growing scientific knowledge on neurofeedback in schools, performance enhancement in learning, in the arts, sports and mental health. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Reflect and appreciate the influence of neurocognitive science on education and development to be able to implement educational programmes which are based on brain research; - Reflect on and appreciate the socio-cultural effects on neuro-cognitive development and design intervention programmes which take into consideration the ecological risk factors in human development in different fields schools, early intervention, community intervention for different service users; - Reflect on the use of neurofeedback and how this can be introduced in the Maltese context. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-Requisite qualifications: First degree | |||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Sunaina Balani |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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