The Learning Brain
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The Great Courses
About this listen
One of the most complicated and advanced computers on Earth can't be purchased in any store. This astonishing device, responsible for storing and retrieving vast quantities of information that can be accessed at a moment's notice, is the human brain. How does such a dynamic and powerful machine make memories, learn a language, and remember how to drive a car? What habits can we adopt in order to learn more effectively throughout our lives? And how do external factors like traumatic injuries and mood affect our gray matter? The answers to these questions are merely the tip of the iceberg in The Learning Brain.
These 24 half-hour lectures offer in-depth and surprising lessons about how the brain learns and how we can optimize that learning. Begin your journey by focusing on which parts of the brain are responsible for different kinds of memory, from personal experiences and memorized facts to short-term memory, and how these systems work on a psychological and biological level. Then, discover how to better absorb and retain all kinds of memories in all stages of life. This course is chock-full of valuable information, whether you're learning a new language at 60 or discovering calculus at 16. If you need better study habits, struggle with learning a new skill, or just worry about memories fading with age, The Learning Brain will provide illuminating insights.
Take this journey with Thad Polk, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, whose well-organized curriculum and relaxed teaching style ease you into intricate aspects of learning science, including the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms involved. Professor Polk's credentials in psychology and over 20 years' experience in education shine through every lecture of The Learning Brain as he firmly supports this rigorous exploration with scientific studies conducted over the last several decades of neuroscientific research.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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Read it
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Simple way to listen to lectures
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Great "learn"!
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The concept, extremely useful.
I just believe the approach towards some of the topics could be more practical, based on the scientific evidence we saw here.
Awesome
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The material was concise and relevant to my needs.
Thanks for a wonderful lecture series.
Just what I needed, and nothing I didn't need.
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Understanding how we view the world
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Good advice for optimizing learning
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excellent course
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It's exactly what you think it would be about. How the brain learns and some tips to help with it. The delivery was great. The Content was great. The pacing and structure are perfect. The accompanying PDF was also very helpful. If you're interested in how we learn, and how to make it easier, this is a course that you probably want to listen to.
One of the better Great Courses!
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The hidden gem of this recording is the intro/outro music that is just cheezy enough so as to be entertaining. It provided more laughs for me than the professor. ;)
Interesting and well put together.
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Great Course
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