We know that the brain has a hugely important role to play in the students' learning that goes on in our classrooms. However, surprisingly, scientists still know relatively little about the workings of the brain, and most of what we do know has been discovered only in the last 15 years. Our challenge is to ensure that what we do know about the brain is translated into classroom practice and used to maximize student learning - this is the idea at the heart of Accelerated Learning. This unit introduces some of the principles of accelerated learning and explores techniques for you to try out with your pupils.

Recent research indicates that people who boast to friends and those who are modest to strangers are less able to regulate their behaviors on other tasks. This case study presents a scenario in which four college roommates use different strategies to manage the impressions they make at a party. When they are later presented with a tray of tempting cookies, students are asked to predict how many each will eat and to justify their answers using the research results. Designed for use in a social psychology course, the case is also appropriate for introductory, health, and motivation psychology courses.

In this interdisciplinary case, students meet Josie, the main character, who suffers from a variety of symptoms. Students must grapple with the conflicting data presented, which ultimately leads them to a diagnosis of either porphyria or schizophrenia. This case can be used in many ways depending on the focus of the course and the instructor. In its simplest form, it can be used to develop content-specific knowledge on the genetic illness porphyria and/or the psychological illness schizophrenia. In an interdisciplinary context, it can be used as a way to discuss complex modes of inheritance and types of confounding issues a genetic counselor, social worker, psychiatrist, or psychologist might face when trying to sort through a complex family history to develop a pedigree or genogram. The case has been used successfully with majors and non-majors in psychology, biology, and genetics. Optional extensions to the case provide for reflection on the theme of "science in society" and how the perception of disease has changed over time.

Learners use two mirrors to explore how images of images of images can repeat forever. This resource includes a light-ray diagram to help learners understand what they are seeing -- images appear to be grouped in pairs with a front side always facing a front side and a back side always facing a back side. Learners can assist in assembling the Infinity Mirror or use one that has been pre-assembled.

In this activity about light and perception, learners create pictures in thin air. Using a simple set up of a slide projector, slide, moveable screen or poster board, and a "wand", learners investigate how we see projected images such as those from movies and television. Use this activity to help learners understand concepts associated with light and optics including persistence of vision, reflection, and map projection.

It is often remarked that groups are everywhere, whether in our social lives, our work lives, or even our families. In each of these situations, sets of individuals decide to work collectively to achieve particular goals.

However, although groups are everywhere and we participate in them constantly, we do not understand them very well. Many of us can tell stories of groups that seemed perfect for a given task, but which failed. And we all have reasons (or excuses) that explain such failures.

But our experiences in groups suffer precisely because we are with them.

The study of groups as a phenomenon that is unique and different from other social phenomena is very active, reflecting both the importance it has and how much we still don't know about groups.

This course will consider long-term service delivery programs designed to meet the special needs of seniors. It will review care and service systems from the unique perspective of an aging population, including the physiological and psychological changes common among seniors.

This site dissects a sheep brain to show us the anatomy of memory. See works of an artist who paints entirely from memory. (Compare his paintings to photos of places.) Play interactive games that test your memory -- learn ways to improve it. Discover why some things are easier to remember than others (droodles game). Which facial features help us remember a face? Which image of the penny is correct? Try a mnemonic device called elaborative encoding.

This interdisciplinary case study is designed to interest general biology students as well as students of psychology and health studies. The study introduces us to the Greens, a family with a recently diagnosed autistic child. Students engage in a variety of activities to learn about the possible causative explanation for autism, its diagnosis, and treatment. A final activity is an optional writing exercise exploring the idea that there is intrinsic value in all persons' experiences, including those who are "different."

This collection of six short cases focuses on brain areas and neurotransmitters involved in the control of movement. Students are divided into working groups and given one or more of the case descriptions. Each scenario depicts a breakdown in the motor system that can be traced (at least in part) to some brain area or areas. Useful for a variety of courses, including physiological psychology and neurobiology, these cases are intended to give students an opportunity to apply knowledge gained from readings and lectures to real-life situations inspired by patient cases described in the literature.

In this activity about light and reflection, learners discover that what you see is often affected by what you expect to see. Learners hold on to a device consisting of two mirrors glued back to back to each other with a dowel handle on either side. While looking at one side of the mirror, learners move one hand on the other side of the mirror. They will be surprised as their brain is fooled into thinking that the image it sees in the mirror is actually their other hand. Learners can participate in assembling the mirror device or use a pre-assembled one. This resource also includes a simpler version of this activity in the "etcetera" section at the bottom of the guide.

In this case study, students are given information regarding an advertisement claiming that listening to the classical music in the advertised CD set will enhance a person's cognitive skills and creativity. Students evaluate the claims and the evidence cited to support them, and then determine how they themselves might independently verify the claims. The case combines several approaches, including a directed case approach with the use of journal articles combined with lecture, individual assignments, and small group work. It was developed for a research methods course in psychology.

In this activity related to light and perception, learners use a pinhole in an index card as a magnifying glass to help their eye focus on a nearby object. Learners will also discover that because this magnifier limits the amount of light that reaches their eye from the object, the pinhole makes the object appear dimmer. Learners are encouraged to explore using pins and needles with different diameters to make different-sized holes in index cards to see how this affects the image. They can also try forming a pinhole by curling their index finger.

This unit examines the area of the brain based learning with a particular focus on the development of the young child's brain and is of particular relevance to those who work with young children. We begin by looking at the structure and functions of the brain, and the impact that sensory deprivation can have on these. We consider the implications of current understandings of brain development for teaching and learning, particularly in an early years setting, and finish by exploring the value of play (particularly outdoor play) in children's learning and the development of their brains.

In this activity, learners explore their eye pupils and how they change. Learners use a magnifying glass, mirror, and flashlight to observe how their pupil changes size in response to changes in lighting. Learners also experiment to determine how light shining in one eye affects the size of the pupil in their other eye. This resource guide includes background information about pupils and why they change as well as information related to emotional stimuli, involuntary reflexes, and photography.

In this case study, designed to help break down stereotypes about scientists and engineers, students research the personal and professional lives of researchers in their field. The case was designed for use in high school to graduate courses in a variety of scientific disciplines, including molecular biology, biochemistry, geology, chemistry, psychology, mathematics, computer science, engineering, and anthropology. In the teaching notes, the authors provide lists of scientists for each of these disciplines as well as suggestions for classroom activities that can be used in various combinations to build on the students' biographical research.

This case describes a study conducted by students in which a number of ethical issues arise, including the treatment of research participants and the supervision of student research assistants by faculty. By examining the way in which the study was conducted, students explore the basic principles of good experimental design. The case was developed for a sophomore-level research methods course as an introduction to research ethics and design. It could also be used in an introductory psychology course or other introductory-level science courses to illustrate the research process in science.

This case study examines the Salem witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 1600s. It is designed to provide students with an opportunity to analyze and critique data and help them understand the scientific method. Originally developed for a non-majors general biology course, the case could be used in a variety of other courses such as psychology, microbiology, sociology, biostatistics, and American history by focusing on particular aspects of the case. Likewise, this case provides an excellent opportunity for teaching across the curriculum.

In this quick optics activity, learners use a dim point of light (a disassembled Mini MagLite and dowel set-up) to cast a shadow of the blood supply in their retina onto the retina itself. This allows learners to see the blood supply of their retina and even their blind spot. Learners are encouraged to wear eye protection.

Innovation in expression -- as realized in media, tangible objects, and performance, and more -- generates new questions and new potentials for human engagement. When and how does expression engage us deeply? While "deep engagement" seems fundamental to the human psyche, it is hard to define, difficult to reliably design for, and hard to critically measure or assess. Are there principles we can articulate? Are there evaluation metrics we can use to insure quality of experience? Many personal stories confirm the hypothesis that once we experience deep engagement, it is a state we long for, remember, and want to repeat. We need to better understand these principles and innovate methods that can insure higher-quality products (artifacts, experiences, environments, performances, etc.) that appeal to a broad audience and that have lasting value over the long term.