optimized learning

From the evidence presented by Piaget and subsequent researchers, there has been evidence that children do not necessarily develop all skills within the time frame that Piaget asserts. The model that is presented by Piaget claims that there is an all or nothing phenomena that occurs as the child discovers a deeper understanding of its environment, it develops a more sophisticated view of innate conceptual knowledge. It has been shown through studies on kittens and other higher ordered animals, that there is a period of cortical development based on experience, such as the development of ocular dominance collumns in the visual cortex. There have been many fMRI studies that have shown this to be true in infants as well. So this shows that Piaget was fairly accurate in most of his theory. In studies conducted by Baillargeon et. al. they demonstrated that children possess these abilities at a significantly earlier age that Paget asserted. This leads me to question whether or not there is a manner in which cognitive development can be optimized based on experience dependant learning. There have been claims recently that IQ ratings can be increased with aids like Baby Mozart (which are false), and it is shown that children will develop a fear response to the "visual cliff" only after they are able to develop locomotor skills. The development of the fear response for the "visual cliff" is dependant on experience acquired through self-genterated locomotion. This response age can be shortened of the child gains experience through the use of a walker, which allows for self-generated locomotion prior to when the child would naturally begin locomotion. This shows that with the proper stimulation, a child can develop some experience based skills faster than normal with approptiate stimulation. This leads me to believe that rather than the all-or-nothing approach is not representative of development, but a linear approach is more plausable, with the slope of the line as the more acurate measure, with the slope being individualized for each person. So I ask; Is there other areas of cognitive development that can be optimized?

Now to return to the development for various sensory systems. It has been shown that there is a "critical period" for the development of cortical areas in the brain, such as the visual and auditory systems, that are dependant on experience based learning. Animal studies have shown that it is possible to suppress the development of these areas by eliminating asymmetrical sensory input (ie; binocular vision), but that there isnt a way to shorten the development of these functions. This leads to the hypothsis of what role does genetics play into the developing brain. Since these systems develop on a specific universal time course, and have been replicated in many animal studies, one must conclude that there is genetic time course for the development of certain cortical processes.

From these observations, it appears that there are methods that can enhance learning in infants and children, and and many more to be discovered, though there is a biological limit to how much learning the child can attain at certain "stages" in their early years. Since current imaging techniques that have both high temporal and spatial acquity (ex. fMRI, NIRS) are limited for use in infants and young children, there is a need to develop more mobile techniques that can be applied for use on infants and young children. Current methods give good temporal acquity, but are poor at best in their spatial acquity. By being able to better image the developing brain, we will be less reliant on assuming we know what is occuring in children's developing brain. With a more fuller understanding of the developmental process, and biological forces acting on the development, we can institute methods to ensure that the child is given the best possible stimulation to optimize their learning capacities.