Exploring the Neural Mechanisms of Physics Learning

该项目由佛罗里达国际大学的研究人员进行，将扩展建模指导（MI）背后的研究基础和理论，MI是大学水平物理的课程干预。该项目基于这样一种理念，即不同的物理教学方法（MI与传统讲座）将导致不同的学生知识，从而导致与物理推理相关的大脑结构的可观察差异。该项目还将研究物理学习中的性别差异。该项目将推进REAL（教育与学习研究）项目在研究STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）学习的神经和认知基础方面的工作。该项目将使用fMRI（功能性磁共振成像）来研究大脑活动，重点研究大脑区域，包括左背外侧前额叶皮层、双侧海马旁回、左梭状回（都与事实检索有关）、内侧和外侧前额叶皮层以及内侧和右侧后顶叶皮层（都与推理有关）。额外的神经测量将评估功能性大脑连接，作为神经推理效率的衡量标准。该项目还将采用智力、焦虑和物理知识的行为和教育措施，包括FCI （Force Concept Inventory）。

This project, to be conducted by researchers at Florida International University, will extend the research base and theory behind Modeling Instruction (MI), a curriculum intervention for college-level physics. The project is based on the idea that different teaching approaches in physics (MI versus traditional lectures) will lead to different student knowledge, which leads to observable differences in brain structures associated with physics reasoning. The project will also examine gender differences in physics learning. This project will advance the work of the REAL (Research on Education and Learning) program in studying the neural and cognitive basis of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning.The project will use fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to study brain activity, focusing on brain regions including the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus (all associated with fact retrieval), medial and lateral prefrontal cortices and medial and right posterior parietal cortices (all associated with reasoning). Additional neural measures will assess functional brain connectivity, as a measure of neural efficiency of reasoning. The project will also employ behavioral and educational measures of intelligence, anxiety, and physics knowledge, including the FCI (Force Concept Inventory).