Neuroscience meets Music to Enhance Learning in UCC

28 Nov 2019

A new collaborative venture between Dr. Yvonne Nolan in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and Dr. Eva McMullan in the Department of Music have brought these two disparate disciplines together to enhance learning for 2^nd year Biological Science students.

In an innovative workshop delivered by Dr. Eva McMullan, the ways in which music impacts the brain were explored through dynamic and engaging activities such as group singing, improvisation and beat synchronisation.

The workshop was designed by Dr. McMullan to facilitate students’ learning, and to complement lectures delivered by Dr. Nolan in a new module entitled ‘An Introduction to Neuroscience, the Brain and Behaviour’ (AN2020) that she has devised and developed. Engaging with various genres and tempos of music were explored to exemplify diverse neural correlates such as the emotional response, the ability to synchronise with rhythm, memory, and activation or alleviation of the stress response.

The meeting of music with neuroscience for educational practice also facilitates the development of UCC’s Graduate Attributes related to creativity, evaluation and communication. Enhancing learning opportunities through this exciting interdisciplinary approach is central to the Connected Curriculum of UCC’s Academic Strategy and is INSTRUMENTAL* for student success.

*Dr Yvonne Nolan and Dr Eva McMullan will present 'INSTRUMENTAL: Introducing New Strategies of Teaching NeuRoscience Using Music to enhance the EducatioN Through creAtive Learning' at the Learning Connections conference to be held in UCC on Friday 6th December 2019.

https://www.ucc.ie/en/learningconnections/conferenceprogramme/day2/

Photographs B.Riedewald