Page 27 - 2018 CA Workshop Booklet
P. 27
Workshop Booklet
16 February 2018
Listening to music and learning
The issue of learning while you listen to music is a complex matter. In short, listening to music reduces your ability to
learn effectively.
Daniel Levitin, a cognitive neuroscientist authored “This is Your Brain on Music” and cites a growing body of research
suggesting that, in almost every case, your performance on intellectual tasks (think reading or writing) suffers consid-
erably when you listen to music.
This is masked by the “feel good factor” in many cases. Students enjoy listening to music and do their homework and
feel better about this. They think they have enjoyed themselves while completing a sometimes-onerous task. The
problem is they are most likely learning in a shallow way, with only simple factual recall or revision being achieved.
The deep learning needed to lay down neuropathways has been constantly disrupted. There is some research to sug-
gest listening to music for 10-15 minutes before studying can be helpful.
CA Bootcamp 2018
