Qualitative Academic Research

The Mind Lab Group regularly carries out qualitative evaluation of its learning program and teaching method. As part of this research, the Mind Lab Group collaborates with prestigious universities around the world, including Yale University in the USA and Northumbria University in England. As part of the joint project with Northumbria, whose Education faculty is regarded as one of the foremost in Europe, several theses have been written on qualitative aspects of the Mind Lab Method.

The Mind Lab Method for Special Education

Ilan Manor’s MA thesis in Educational Research examined the influence of the Mind Lab Method on a group of autistic children who were integrated into the mainstream educational system. The main findings of the work clearly show that as a result of learning thinking games based on the Mind Lab Method, these children succeeded in establishing close personal ties with the facilitator and managed to build strong bonds with their classmates. Through the game-playing experience they received recognition from other children and also improved their own performance levels.

The Mind Lab Method and Teacher Training

Ehud Shachar’s MA thesis in Educational Research covered the influence that the Mind Lab Method has on the teaching staff. The teachers who were exposed to the Mind Lab Method attested that as a result of its implementation they have modified their own thinking patterns and modes of behaviour, and made significant enhancements. Since the Mind Lab Method is viewed as a holistic educational tool, they were able to combine analogies and examples from their own personal lives. In their opinion, the ability to flexibly apply the Mind Lab Method to a wide range of educational content facilitates understanding and helps to make the lessons an unforgettable experience for children.

Interdisciplinary Transfer with the Mind Lab Method

Dan Gendelman’s MA thesis in Educational Research examined the “understanding behind the learning.” The aim of the research was to define as precisely as possible, the extent to which children grasp the concepts and processes presented in the Mind Lab Method. In particular, the thesis deals with the concept of transfer – a process that has been extensively studied and one that is particularly difficult to measure and evaluate.

During the course of the research, strong evidence was presented indicating that the Mind Lab Method does indeed trigger a process of transfer. This was supported by the testimony of parents and teachers, and also from direct talks with the children. The children and educators explained in depth how they succeeded in using strategic thinking learned in the Mind Lab lessons.

Dealing with mathematical problems
One of the children noted how he had employed Mind Lab’s “Detective Method,” a technique that breaks a problem down to its basic components by employing a systematic series of questions. He said that he had managed to put it into practice in the game of Rush Hour, and to deal with multi-staged mathematical problems such as multiple digit addition and multiplication.
Mediation and conflict resolution
One of the teachers explained how “the Stoplight Method” assisted in opening lines of communication, and helped to resolve a class dispute regarding the use of the football field during recess periods. The dispute was settled by a tabulated compromise solution in which each class agreed to play on the field during the recess period on alternating days of the week.
Planning group initiatives
“The Migrating Birds Method” and other planning and execution strategies help children to foster and nurture the idea of cooperation and collaboration with their peers. As a result, they often succeed in initiating complex projects within the school, from painting the restrooms to setting up and running a snack bar.
In conclusion, the direct testimony presented in the research paper underlines how the Mind Lab Method provides children with a broad outlook of the learning processes and enables them to look at a subject in a reflective manner. The research also demonstrates how children succeed in applying the strategies to many other aspects of life, such as problems at school or emotional and social challenges.