A new study has shown that parts of the brain, which are not used while learning science becomes active when exposed to the world of Physics.
The finding was published in the journal Frontiers in ICT, which shows that it is possible to change the brain’s activity by exposing it to the different forms of instructions.
The study was done using the fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), which measures the flow of the blood in the brain. The researchers looked at the brain map to see the active regions of the brain busy in solving a physics problem or reasoning task.
"The neurobiological processes that underpin learning are complex and not always directly connected to what we think it means to learn," said Eric Brewe, an associate professor at Drexel University in the US.
More than 50 volunteers took part in the study and they were taught Physics using ‘Modeling instructions’ in which students are the active participants in the learning process.
Before students participated in the class, they were asked to take a test while undergoing fMRI.
Students were again asked to take the test after the completion of the cost, which was again monitored by the fMRI.
During the pre-instruction scan, the lateral prefrontal cortex and parietal cortex, sometimes called the brain's "central executive network" were involved in problem-solving.
"One of the keys seemed to be an area of the brain, the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, that generates mental simulations," Brewe said.
"This suggests that learning Physics is an imaginative process, which is
not typically how people think of it," he said.
After the completion of the class, pre and post learning scans were revealed and researchers noticed an increased activity in the frontal poles. Frontal poles are linked to the learning.
The other area which activated during the learning was the posterior cingulate cortex, and this area is linked to the episodic memory and self-referential thought, researchers told.
“These changes in brain activity may be related to more complex behavioral changes in how students reason through physics questions post- relative to pre-instruction," said Brewe.
"These might include shifts in strategy or an increased access to physics knowledge and problem-solving resources," he said.
Tags: Research Study
Benefits Of Learning Physics
Learning Physics
Functioning Of Brain
Drexel University
