People are often advised to get adequate rest to stay healthy. The University of Texas at Austin reported that a new study shows mental rest and reflection also boosts learning. This study has shown that brain mechanisms which are engaged when people allow their minds to rest and reflect on things which they have previously learned may boost learning thereafter.
It has already been established by scientists that resting the mind, as when daydreaming, assists in
strengthening memories of events and in the retention of information. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have now shown that the appropriate kind of mental rest, which serves to strengthen and consolidate memories from recent learning tasks, aids in boosting future learning.
Alison Preston, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, says her research team has shown for the first time the manner in which the brain processes information when a person is resting
can improve future learning. Preston has gone on to say she and her colleagues think that replaying memories when a person is resting makes those earlier memories stronger. It is felt that not just original content, but also memories to come are impacted.
The results of this study have been published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers observed that spontaneous reactivation of established memories coupled with enhanced hippocampal–neocortical functional connectivity while resting was
associated with better subsequent learning, particularly of related content. Preston thinks this new understanding could help teachers design more effective ways of teaching.
