O 6.1 Water, oxygen and the brain

Recent research has discovered that most of the students with the best results at school were those who drank around eight glasses of water per day.

Many schools in the UK are already beginning to recognise the need for students (and their brains) to be sufficiently hydrated, and have installed water-coolers at strategic points.

Do you agree that such simple things can have an effect on learning? Give your opinion in the Food for thought poll below and see what other participants think.

Food for thought

In the Open University's Introduction to Accelerated Learning, the authors write:

"Two sources of fuel are particularly important to ensure a healthy and efficiently functioning brain – oxygen and water. Fortunately, in many countries, both of these are in ready supply! Many schools in the UK are already beginning to recognise the need for students (and their brains) to be sufficiently hydrated, and have installed water-coolers at strategic points.

Oxygen is easier to supply, but sitting down for a typical 50-minute lesson could decrease the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain by 15 per cent. Something as simple as getting students to stand up or fetch a textbook from a designated point across the classroom could ensure a more thoroughly oxygenated supply of the blood to the brain, and therefore more efficient brain performance.

Recent research (for example Trevor Brocklebank at Leeds Univesity, cited in Lucas, 2001) has discovered that most of the students with the best results at school were those who drank around eight glasses of water per day."

Do you agree that increased access to water and oxygen really improves students' learning?

Give your opinion using the poll.

Your selection: Without a doubt, yes

Responses

Choice options	The number of user	The number of user in percentage	Graph display
Without a doubt, yes		57.9%
Sounds possible		42.1%
No idea!		0.0%
Sounds unlikely		0.0%
Load of rubbish!		0.0%

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 863