On Educational Neuroscience. An Interview with Paul Howard-Jones

Abstract

Paul Howard-Jones is an expert in Educational Neuroscience, who lectures at the Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol. In the following interview given in May 2013, he shares his thoughts on a number of topics he has researched over many years. First off, he insists on defining the limitations of the neurosciences in their dialogue with the realm of education
(a famous example is his pars destruens on “neuro-myths” in his essay Introducing Neuroeducational Research: Neuroscience, Education and the Brain from Contexts to Practice, published by Routledge in 2010). He then addresses more recent areas of research: evaluating the impact of teaching strategies involving movement, games and creativity.
At the end of the interview, Howard-Jones states: “At the end of the day, neuroscience can only tell us what we can do, not what we should do.
These decisions about balancing learners’ experience and the curriculum need to be made by educators, although hopefully educators informed by neuroscience”.
Howard-Jones argues that the concept of Neuroeducation should be conceived as a two-way dialogue between the laboratory and the classroom, without either realm eclipsing the other. Thus, though the neurosciences are known for their efficacy as a demonstrative platform, the educational sciences, too, must be recognized for their mastery of designing learning experiences