In the 1990s, scientists began using functional MRIs (fMRIs) to see how the brain functions. Different than an MRI that looks at the structure of the brain, an fMRI takes baseline images of the brain while it is at rest and compares them to imaging of the brain while it is doing an activity. Because of this technology, the understanding of how the brain works—including new information about brain issues such as injuries, memory, stress, and learning disabilities—has increased tenfold. All of this additional information about the brain has also transformed what we know about learning.


John Medina is a developmental molecular biologist. He has a lifelong fascination with how the mind reacts to and organizes information. He is the author of the New York Times best seller Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School—a provocative book that takes on the way that our schools and work environments are designed.


Use the following video and the Brain Rules website to learn more about John Medina's Brain Rules and see how you can use this information to improve your content. 

John Medina, author of Brain Rules from Pear Press on Vimeo.


To learn more about instructional design and eLearning, enroll in our self-paced course, Principles of Instructional Design: A Roadmap for Creating Engaging eLearning Content.