Scientific Learning co-founder Dr. Michael Merzenich is an expert on "brain plasticity", the ability of the brain to change in response to new experiences. In this video, Dr. Merzenich talks about near real-time research into how the brain learns with an emphasis on learning strategies, and his interest in the specifics of how a particular brain is controlling the modulatory resources that make it an effective or ineffective learner.

There are about about a dozen factors believed to be contributing to high learning success, and which can be measured in brains on the fly.

One example: when a child expects something to happen he sharpens his attentional focus and localizes an activation area where he expects answers to occur.

Different children do that with variations of the dynamic. Some children are very quick to activate. Some children are very precise in their control. Some children have a strong increased effect if they know they really have to focus. Research into measuring these factors and addressing variations with technology promises the next "really big thing" in learning and student achievement.