New research suggests brain mechanisms that are activated when the brain is allowed to rest and reflect could improve future learning.
In the past scientists have determined restful mental activities, such as daydreaming, can help strengthen memories of events and boost information retention. These new findings suggest the right kind of mental rest can improve future learning, the University of Texas at Austin reported.
"We've shown for the first time that how the brain processes information during rest can improve future learning," said Alison Preston, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience. "We think replaying memories during rest makes those earlier memories stronger, not just impacting the original content, but impacting the memories to come."
The researchers asked participants to complete two learning tasks in which they memorized different series of photo pairs. In between tasks the subjects were allowed to rest and think about whatever they wanted, but brain scans showed those who reflected on what they had done performed better in later tests pertaining to what they had learned.
In the past scientists have assumed previous memories could interfere with new learning, but this new study suggests the opposite (at least in certain circumstances).
"Nothing happens in isolation," Preston said. "When you are learning something new, you bring to mind all of the things you know that are related to that new information. In doing so, you embed the new information into your existing knowledge."
These new findings could help teachers develop more effective methods in the classroom. For example: a college professor teaching students about how brain neurons communicate could first ask them to recall what they had learned about the subject in high school.
"A professor might first get them thinking about the properties of electricity," Preston said. "Not necessarily in lecture form, but by asking questions to get students to recall what they already know. Then, the professor might begin the lecture on neuronal communication. By prompting them beforehand, the professor might help them reactivate relevant knowledge and make the new material more digestible for them."
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
