Brainpower – Harnessing the Power and Potential of Adolescent Brain and Behaviour for Enhanced Learning, Wellbeing and Student Success in Higher Education

Creator(s)

Eithne Hunt, Samantha Dockray, Yvonne Nolan

Organisation(s)

University College Cork

Discipline(s)

Teaching & Learning

Topic(s)

Digital Learning, Professional Development, Teaching and Learning Practice

License

CC BY

Media Format

Video, Webpage

Date Submitted

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Description

Bookended by puberty and culturally defined adult roles, it is now established that adolescence extends from age 10 to age 24. Funded by the National Forum SATLE2019 scheme, and launched during VIT&L 2021 week, the new Canvas course Brainpower developed by Dr. Eithne Hunt (Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy / Graduate Attributes Programme, UCC); Dr. Samantha Dockray (Applied Psychology, UCC); and Professor Yvonne Nolan (Anatomy & Neuroscience, UCC) with input from students and higher education staff explores the ramifications of this research and gives participants an opportunity to reflect on what this information may mean for them within their work or role in higher education.

The inner workings of the adolescent brain and how these workings develop and are expressed in behaviours and engagement with the external world have been the focus of an explosion of research inquiry. Seated in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, cognitive abilities such as decision-making, planning, self-control, social interaction and self-awareness are only fully developed by the mid-twenties. In addition, the brain regions governing risk-taking and reward are intensely active in adolescence, and so influence behaviour, which is also shaped by context and expectations of others.

To realise student success, higher education (HE) institutions must take into account that the majority of their students are still adolescents, without fully developed cognitive, social, emotional and self-regulatory capacities, living and learning in a socio-cultural environment that offers less external regulation than ever before. The knowledge that many students in higher education are in developmental transition spotlights opportunities to construct academic and campus contexts that supports this transition.

Brainpower is a free, online, self-paced course, focusing on harnessing the power and potential of adolescent brain and behaviour for enhanced learning, wellbeing and student success in higher education. Within each of the six modules (each approximately 60 minutes duration) there is a variety of instructive media, including recorded Panopto lectures, videos and short readings. Supplemental information in the form of suggested reading lists, podcasts, and videos is provided. The Brainpower modules are provided in a predefined sequence with content unlocked step by step. Modules will be unlocked once the previous module is completed. 

Benefit of this resource and how to make the best use of it

Although targeted mainly at academic and academic support staff in higher education, Brainpower is likely to be of interest to staff across further and higher education, nationally and internationally, as well as parents, school teachers, coaches and all those who contribute to the lives of young people. It is publicly available to all under Creative Commons License: https://ucc.instructure.com/courses/34672

UCC staff can choose to take Brainpower as a digital badge micro-credential by completing the required assessments as evidence of learning. You can enrol here if you are UCC staff and wish to explore this option.

Watch a short intro video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOpmISaMvPo

UCC VIT&L Week 2021 Launch of Brainpower Digital Badge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEiNdV7VIP4

A student version called Your Brainpower, funded by the National Forum SATLE 2020 scheme will be available in 2022.

An additional link here to the UCC webpage details the online course: Digital Badge: Brainpower – Harnessing the Power and Potential of Adolescent Brain and Behaviour for Enhanced Learning, Wellbeing and Student Success (instructure.com)

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

This work is licensed under a CC BY license, allowing sharing and adaptation with proper attribution.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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Hunt, E., Dockray, S., & Nolan, Y. (2021). Brainpower – harnessing the power and potential of adolescent brain and behaviour for enhanced learning, wellbeing and student success in higher education. National Resource Hub (Ireland). Retrieved from: https://hub.teachingandlearning.ie/resource/harnessing-the-power-and-potential-of-adolescent-brain-and-behaviour-for-enhanced-learning-wellbeing-and-student-success-the-interdisciplinary-creation-and-piloting-of-an-innovative-online-digital-b/ License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY).

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Related OER

This resource captures key insights from a full-day workshop held on 8 May 2025, hosted by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and led by internationally recognised expert Dr Alison Cook-Sather. The event focused on the transformative potential of authentic student-staff partnerships as a strategic approach to advancing student engagement, success, and institutional effectiveness.

Attended by academic staff, institutional leaders, student success professionals, and sector partners from across Ireland, the workshop featured a combination of keynote presentations, lightning talks, and interactive sessions. Through real-world examples and hands-on activities, participants explored how to build meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable collaboration between students and staff.

For the full event schedule and a complete list of lightning talk contributors to this slide deck, visit the workshop schedule.

TUS Sensory Awareness Guide delves into the often-overlooked challenges faced by individuals with sensory processing challenges, especially in academic settings. It focuses on creating sensory-friendly environments and offers actionable advice on everything from classroom settings to other student facing roles.

This survey was adapted from a North American Faculty OER Survey Toolkit for use in the Irish Higher Education context. It was used across the DOERs project partner sites to audit staff Open Educational Resources and Open Educational Practices awareness and practices. We encourage other institutions to adapt this tool to meet their needs.

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URL: https://ucc.instructure.com/courses/34672