Neuroscience informing education

21 January 2010

Dr Marty Burns.

Next month an international neuroscientist will deliver her first seminar to educators in Brisbane, The Brain Science of Language, Reading and Learning.

Dr Marty Burns is Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University in the United States.

She said she developed an interest in brain science during her 35 years practising as a speech pathologist, teaching in schools and as a consultant to staff in school district offices.

'I began to see that brain science has a great deal to contribute to education in that it provides insight into why some students struggle to learn, and more importantly, what can be done about it,' Dr Burns said.

'A student's IQ doesn't necessarily determine their academic ability. Rather, all students exhibit different patterns of learning that equate to underlying cognitive capacities of memory, attention, processing and sequencing.'

Dr Burns said this was her fourth consecutive year visiting Australia delivering seminars and her first in Brisbane.

'I always enjoy presenting to Australian educators because they are typically proactive, have a keen interest in understanding the latest learning research, and have led much of the world in their efforts to improve the curriculum as well as the effectiveness of teaching methods,' she said.

For more information or to register for the seminar, email Ralph@eventswa.com.au or phone (08) 9248 5788.

Read more about Dr Burns' research in Academic Views.