Abstract: You walk into the classroom and are struck by an invisible presence: a “vibe”, an energy. The students and their teacher are lost in their learning: sharing and discussing ideas and questions; open to and interested in possibilities and perspectives. There is a strong sense of engagement: a connection to the learning experience and those within it. And you wonder, ‘how is this achieved?’ This shared sense of connection is known as social synchrony, and underpins our capacity to understand others on a wider scale. It involves the sharing of cognitive, emotional, behavioural, physiological, and neurological states, and has been shown to correlate with engagement. This session will explore how the Science of Learning (neuroscience, psychology and education) is helping us to understand the conscious and unconscious processes involved in collective or shared engagement; why it is important for cognitive, social, emotional and physical wellbeing; and how teachers can promote it in their classrooms.

Biography: Stephanie’s research interests are in Human Connection and Learning, Emotions, Creativity, and Self-Regulation, using a science of learning (neuroscience, psychology, education) lens. As a Research Translation Officer, she draws upon her knowledge of research and her 20 years of P-12 classroom teaching experience to work with principals, teachers and researchers to explore and develop contextually relevant applications of research to the classroom. Stephanie has been a lecturer at The University of Queensland since 2014, developing and delivering undergraduate and post-graduate courses in Arts Education, Youth At-Risk, Educational Psychology, and the Science of Learning. She frequently presents seminars and workshops to teachers and learners across primary, secondary and tertiary settings.