From taking our first steps to upskilling during our careers, learning is a lifelong endeavour. Our experiences and brains’ neural networks shape how we perceive and process information.
In a shifting social, digital and professional landscape, learning effectively and continuously is essential.
Drawing on research into brain networks, social interactions and learning techniques, NTU’s researchers offer tips to help us – and our children – unlock potential at every age.
Provide a positive and warm environment for your baby
Children learn by observing how adults behave and react, especially when they are unsure of what to do. Caregivers also facilitate learning by directing the child’s attention to information that is important, providing timely cues and responses to ensure the child stays engaged when learning.
“Caregivers can scaffold their child’s learning by using social cues such as making eye contact, calling the child’s name and using ‘infant-directed speech’ with the child,” says Prof Victoria Leong, who examines the neural processes between parents and infants that support learning through observation and interaction.
“These cues help the child pay attention to information that is relevant and prioritise learning it.” However, if a caregiver often reacts negatively, a child might copy those behaviours and learn to respond negatively too.
“Over time, these ‘negative biases’ in understanding and reacting to events in life can seed vulnerabilities for poor mental health. That’s why providing a positive, warm and responsive environment early in life is so important,” says Prof Leong, Director of the Early Mental Potential and Wellbeing Research Centre.
Get involved in your child’s developmental needs early
Neurodevelopmental conditions in children, such as autism spectrum disorder, can hamper the development of higher order mental skills, such as those needed to focus and plan.
To reduce the lifelong impact of such conditions, it’s important for parents to recognise and address them early, says Prof Leong, who is also Deputy Director of the Cambridge-NTU Centre for Lifelong Learning and Individualised Cognition.
Most clinical screening tools can only be applied for children aged two and older, which misses a crucial window for early detection and intervention. So, Prof Leong’s team is developing an infant screening tool and a play-based programme that parents can use at home to help babies with mild to moderate neurodevelopmental risk improve their developing cognition.
The programme uses “smart toys” with sensors to record a child’s interactions during play. Algorithms analyse the data to recommend play activities that support a child’s development.
Give students space to be creative and learn from one another
A growing child’s learning is further shaped in school. When given space to be curious and draw their own conclusions with the support of adults, children learn to build their own understanding of the world around them, a skill they can continue using throughout life.
Instead of focusing on getting the correct answer, parents and teachers can encourage students to independently explore and make sense of new ideas.
“Sometimes, with good intentions, we as adults intervene too much and we hinder children’s natural curiosity,” says Dr Teo Chew Lee, who is Deputy Centre Director at the National Institute of Education’s Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice.
A knowledge-building and learning-analytics expert, Dr Teo is behind the student Knowledge Building Design Studio, where students of different ages and from different schools come together to explore sustainability issues, investigate problems and co-create solutions.
“For example, we can engage students in discussion using sentence starters, such as ‘This idea doesn’t quite explain…’,” says Dr Teo. “That way, they will learn to appreciate different ideas, voice disagreements and build on one another’s ideas.”
Challenge students to work beyond their abilities
Teachers tend to over-structure classroom activities and minimise uncertainties, out of concern that students – especially lower-achieving ones – cannot follow through.
This strategy may aid procedural learning to some extent, but will limit the students’ potential in the long run, as it does not foster the students’ ability to think critically or challenge them to stretch their limits.
Instead, Dr Teo encourages educators to recognise students’ ability to learn and grow through trial and error. Rather than stepping in to help once students get frustrated and stuck, it may be more beneficial to support them from the sidelines and let them solve problems independently.
“In a positive sense, frustration and inquiry are actually what’s required for them to be creative,” she says.
Overcoming challenges also builds growth mindsets. Dr Teo says: “Seeing yourself achieving something you previously thought impossible can encourage you to keep learning.”
Instil a learning and development work culture
Learning continues into adulthood and companies should create an environment conducive to learning so employees can keep up with rapidly changing developments.
Assoc Prof Trevor Yu and Principal Research Fellow Dr Vijayan Munusamy from the Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE) suggest that since formal training can be costly, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can implement alternative methods like on-the-job training and informal learning, creating spaces for employees to learn from one another.
Assoc Prof Yu specialises in helping organisations design and implement practices that attract, engage and retain their best talent, while Dr Munusamy’s research focuses on learning and development, human capital and intercultural leadership.
Involving employees in decision-making can also promote a sense of ownership in their learning journey.
Resource-constrained employers like SMEs can still cultivate a learning culture that supports employee development. The key is to be resourceful, leverage available support and integrate learning into daily work, say the researchers.
Move and interact more as you age
While some brain functions decline with age, the brain remains remarkably adaptable. It can build scaffolds, which are alternative neural pathways, to accomplish tasks in new ways.
Engaging in physical activity and social interaction helps keep these diverse neural pathways active, enabling older adults to continue learning effectively.
“So interventions that combine exercise with cognitive engagement have been shown to enhance executive function and processing speed, which are the core abilities that support ongoing learning,” says Prof Annabel Chen, Director of CRADLE.
Prof Chen, a clinical neuropsychologist who studies how brain networks influence thinking and behaviour, adds: “We also observed that older adults relied more on movement-related and deeper brain areas when faced with challenging tasks, suggesting they were finding new ways to compensate. These scaffolds help people stay mentally active and support learning well into later life.”
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