INDIVIDUAL PORTFOLIO 7 Name: Ronny Anak Tanjong

Lecture 5: Mind, Brain & Learning Matrix ID: 19752

In this lecture, it is about mind and brain for the learning processes. First, it discusses
about how brain activities are investigated. The investigation is done in different types of
brain-imaging techniques. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Functional Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (FMRI) are examples of techniques used to understand brain activities.
PET allows researchers determine which parts of the brain are involved in the cognitive task
by injecting the participant with a radioactive chemical and image is generated through the
flow of radioactive chemical in the brain. It is widely used to study cognitive processes such
as attention, memory, mental imagery and reading. Meanwhile, FMRI study human brain by
measuring the amount of oxygen in the blood in various brain areas. FMRI scanner will
detect the flow of oxygenated-blood in the brain and image is generated.

Then, it discuss about various basic brain processes related to neuron connections,
neurons, neurotransmitters, hippocampus, cerebral cortex and hemispheres. Neuron is a cell
which accumulates and transmits electricity consists of cell body, axon, dendrites and
synapse. To communicate with each other, neurons release the neurotransmitters into the
synapse. Neurotransmitters are the messengers that travel between one brain cell and another
containing dopamine, acetylcholine and serotonin. Hippocampus helps to encode memories
and also help to find the memories when we want to remember something. Meanwhile,
cerebral cortex is the largest part of the brain as it does a lot of brain work. Hemispheres
consist of left hemisphere and right hemisphere. It is not completely separated. The
hemispheres are connected by nerve fibres called corpus callosum. Left hemisphere do lot
more things on words and logic, meanwhile, right hemisphere better at art, music and
intuition.

This lecture also concentrates on how people learn in the view of brain research. One
of the research findings is wiring of the brain. It suggests that activity in the nervous system
(brain) associated with learning experiences causes nerve cells to create new synapse.
Another research has found that experiences and environments affect the brain development.
For example, animals in the jungle have greater volumes of capillaries per nerve cell than
caged animals because greater volume of blood supply to brain causes alteration in the brain.
This makes the nerve cells more efficient and powerful. Besides that, researcher found that
actual learning can produce brain changes, which is learning adds synapses for the brain.
When we learn, localization in the brain also changes. Learning specific tasks causes
INDIVIDUAL PORTFOLIO 7 Name: Ronny Anak Tanjong

Lecture 5: Mind, Brain & Learning Matrix ID: 19752

localized changes in the areas of the brain appropriate to the task. Another research shows on
memory and brain processes is pictures have a superiority effect. Besides, practises increases
learning.