Making better use of cognitive resources for learning

The aim of this teaching unit is to provide students with the latest knowledge in cognitive neuroscience so that they can make better use of their brainpower to learn more effectively, think critically, be critical of information and themselves, and solve problems more efficiently. The aim is to shed light on certain brain mechanisms involved in learning in order to encourage students to reflect on their own working methods and help them choose the most effective cognitive strategies from among those proposed. The EU also offers students ways to become better scientists by avoiding cognitive biases in favor of a rigorous, innovative, and creative scientific approach. Workshops and presentations will be offered in this regard in tutorials. Portraits of inspiring great scientists will also illustrate how science advances.

 Finally, aware that multiplying sensory input channels stabilizes memory retention, we offer part of the course in the form of forum theater for those who wish to participate. This lively format allows students who want to get involved in the game to be proactive in changing their learning profile and transforming themselves into actors both on stage and in life. For those who are not inclined to perform, there is no obligation; simply observing others perform is a powerful way to become aware of the unconscious mechanisms that are not conducive to their learning and allows them to actively integrate the resources offered to them.

-better understand your brain to succeed at university, by developing your cognitive and creative abilities and protecting yourself from cognitive biases

-better understand how science is advancing

-study some great scientists as a source of inspiration

none, only motivation matters

Recommended prerequisites*: interest in neuroscience and personal development, desire to explore limiting beliefs about learning

Final exam (50%) and continuous assessment (50%)

Part 1: Understanding your cognitive resources, using your brain more effectively, thinking more clearly

Learning, automatic responses

Attention,

Information overload,

Multitasking,

Motivation,

Memory processes,

Emotions and desire in learning,

Procrastination,

Part 2: Scientific approach, How to discover and innovate

The scientific approach: what science is, what it can and cannot do, its limitations

To be an inventor, a researcher, a discoverer, a scientist

How to establish a scientific fact: evidence, circumstantial evidence, clues, cross-checking, deductions, cause or consequence, correlations, intuition, inspiration, 

Experience design (controls, artifacts, reproduction, traps and illusions, measuring instruments, multi-technique approaches, etc.)

Thought experiments

Modeling, models, mathematical formalism

Thinking together, group work, brainstorming

Knowing how to gather information, choosing your sources, bringing your notes to life

Learning through direct experience

The important role of errors and failures in science, serendipity

Cognitive biases: understanding them and protecting yourself from them

Risk-taking in science, learning from failure, fear, 

Critical thinking

Innovation, creativity, how do we discover them?

What should you do when faced with an obstacle?

Bibliographic research

Scientific integrity

Part 3: Portraits, ways of thinking, and advice from great scientists, explorers, and innovators

Hourly volumes:

            CM: 20

            TD: 13.5

            TP: 9