Catherine Meilleur has over 15 years of experience in research and writing. Having worked as a journalist and educational designer, she is interested in everything related to learning: from educational psychology to neuroscience, and the latest innovations that can serve learners, such as virtual and augmented reality. She is also passionate about issues related to the future of education at a time when a real revolution is taking place, propelled by digital technology and artificial intelligence.


5 Tips For Integrating Play Into Higher Education

2022-05-08T13:07:11-04:002022/05/05|Articles, Catherine Meilleur, Learning, Online|

Why shouldn't adult learners have as much fun as younger ones? This question, which seems to be shared by many, prompted two American academics with atypical backgrounds to take action. In 2020, Lisa Forbes and David Thomas created Professors at Play, an online creative space to encourage the use of play and fun in higher education. Here are their top tips for actors at this level of education to better integrate play and its benefits into their practice!

4 Branches of Neuroscience

2022-03-24T11:11:22-04:002022/03/24|Articles, Catherine Meilleur, Neuroscience|

The field of neuroscience deals with studying the nervous system, from neurons to behaviour, and calls upon a vast array of disciplines ranging from biology to chemistry, including mathematics and computer science. This field is diverse and can be broken down into several branches or sub-disciplines. Here are the main ones!

5 Milestones in the History of Neuroscience

2022-03-03T13:30:56-05:002022/03/03|Articles, Catherine Meilleur, Neuroscience|

First coined in the 1960s, the term "neuroscience" refers to the scientific study of the nervous system, including our fascinating brain, from its most fundamental aspects, such as molecules and cells, to the integrative dimensions that underlie our cognitive and behavioural functions. Although much remains to be discovered, giant steps have been made in this field over the past few decades. To appreciate how far we have come, nothing is better than looking back at some of the milestones that have marked this history.

Stress and memory

2022-02-23T12:53:43-05:002022/02/23|Articles, Catherine Meilleur, Learning, Neuroscience|

From encoding to recall to consolidation, stress can interfere with each of the key stages of memory. In fact, it represents one of the biggest obstacles to the smooth running of this process. Even once information is stored in our long-term memory, stress can momentarily prevent us from retrieving it. That said, the relationships between stress and memory are complex chemistry, some of which may surprise you. Here's a look at some of them!

Neuroscience: 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Studying

2022-02-22T16:13:58-05:002022/02/09|Articles, Catherine Meilleur, Learning, Neuroscience|

Knowing more about the modus operandi of a learning brain allows us to re-evaluate our approaches to teaching and studying. As we know, studying is just as important as attending class, if not more so. However, thanks to neuroscience, we now know that not all study strategies are equal and that some are even counterproductive, despite being used for generations. To guide you, here are three mistakes to avoid when you are in study mode!

8 Proven Tips for Optimal Learning

2021-12-16T15:31:50-05:002021/12/16|Articles, Catherine Meilleur, Learning|

Our understanding of learning has made a quantum leap in recent years, thanks in part to neuroscience. This is in addition to a growing interest in more humane approaches to teaching that take into account the fact that cognition and emotions are inseparable, contrary to what we have long believed... So, learners and teachers, here are some tips from the latest research for optimal learning!

Cognitive biases: test your knowledge!

2021-12-09T14:43:50-05:002021/12/09|Articles, Catherine Meilleur, Test Yourself|

Do you know what a cognitive bias is and how many there are to date? Are you aware that certain cognitive biases must be taken seriously in the teaching world? Do you have any idea of how to help a teacher avoid them? Can you tell a cognitive bias from a myth? Test your knowledge by answering the following five questions.

10 study techniques and their effectiveness

2021-12-01T14:57:47-05:002021/12/01|Articles, Catherine Meilleur, Learning|

Study techniques are some of the factors that affect learning success. As such, various techniques are commonly used by learners: from highlighting to proofreading to mnemonic keywords. However, in terms of their effectiveness — and this is what matters! — all techniques are far from being equal. This is what a group of researchers concluded after reviewing the research results on ten study techniques. Here are their conclusions!

Our two short-term memories

2021-11-16T14:31:49-05:002021/11/16|Articles, Catherine Meilleur, Neuroscience|

We are all familiar with the concepts of short-term and long-term memories, which cognitive psychology has long presented to us as our two major types of temporal memories. Over time, our knowledge of these two memories has been refined, primarily through neuroscience, and we now know a little more about how they work. So let's take a look at the two facets of our short-term memory!

Long-Term Memory: Its 3 Chronological Processes

2021-11-09T14:49:10-05:002021/11/09|Articles, Catherine Meilleur, Neuroscience|

Our long-term memory can store an unlimited amount of information over a period ranging from a few hours to a lifetime. It includes the memory of recent events, which are still being processed, as well as consolidated memories. Without this memory, we would not have access to the events that have marked our lives or to all that we have learned, be it on an intellectual, emotional or motor level. This memory is based on three main chronological processes. Here they are!

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