SL-CN: Group Brain Dynamics in Learning Network

电生理学长期以来一直在我们理解学习中的大脑动力学方面发挥着重要作用，但仅限于个人层面。随着低成本、易于使用的脑电(EEG)设备的出现，这种设备可以同时测量整个教室的大脑反应，现在可以在自然主义的课堂环境中研究学习期间的群体大脑动力学。这是从数千名学生那里收集数据的机会，学校将提供以前方法无法提供的见解。然而，迫切需要严格定义这项技术如何在改善学习方面发挥作用。为了满足这一需求，本项目将形成一个专家研究网络，以开发和测试新的脑电方法来测量群体脑动态。该网络包括儿童发展、学习脑电技术、课堂教学和推广方面的专家。合作研究将在三个反映不同人群的地理区域进行：圣地亚哥、旧金山湾区和华盛顿特区。这项研究将集中于评估重要的基础技能：使用脑电来评估大脑对语音编码的质量，使用脑电来实时评估注意力，以及检查时间同步在促进注意行为方面的作用。除了研究之外，该项目还致力于在科学中建立跨学科联系，并积极让研究社区参与研究，以促进教育工作者、学生和其他研究人员之间的富有成效的对话。脑电技术在理解学习、注意力、展望、记忆和执行功能的动态过程方面做出了重要贡献。更新的测量方法，如复杂的听觉脑干反应(CABR)，揭示了大脑如何编码声音，提供了一个强大的工具，将大脑功能与阅读和语言障碍联系起来。传统的脑电方法过于繁琐和侵入性，不适合大规模的课堂使用。网络研究人员开发了一种变革性的低成本、干电极、高采样率的脑电系统，该系统符合人体工程学，适合儿童使用。他们的软件创新能够实现大组脑电记录的同步，将支持同时记录20名学生的数据。这些将有助于以教育为基础的研究中至少两项创新：1)大量传统的、单独的EEG测试将可能并行进行，极大地提高研究效率、产量和功率；2)更具革命性的步骤，评估生态学习环境中的个人和群体大脑动力学，以实时洞察学习、言语理解和注意力的动态。本研究提出了四个实验目标：1)用CABR确定个体学习差异；2)开发语音嵌套分层处理的测量方法；3)开发用于个体和群体认知状态(注意力、警觉性)评估的协议；4)考察群体水平的大脑动力学如何反映课堂环境中的语音理解。除了其科学目标外，该网络还将通过主办“学习中的脑动力学”研讨会来促进科学对话，为该领域未来的研究制定路线图。

Electrophysiology has long played an important role in our understanding of brain dynamics in learning, but only at an individual level. With the advent of low-cost, easy to use electroencephalography (EEG) devices that can measure brain responses from an entire classroom at a time, it is now possible to study group brain dynamics during learning in a naturalist classroom setting. This is opportunity to gather data from thousands of students and schools will provide insights not available from earlier approaches. There is however, a critical need to rigorously define how this technology might play a role in improving learning. To address this need, the present project will form a research network of experts to develop and test new EEG methods to measure group brain dynamics. This network includes experts in child development, learning EEG technology, classroom teaching and outreach. Collaborative research will be conducted in three geographic areas reflecting diverse populations: San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Washington DC Area. The research will focus on assessing important foundational skills: using EEG to assess the quality of encoding of speech by the brain, using EEG to assess attention in real-time, and examining the role of temporal synchronization in promoting attentional behaviors. In addition to research the project features a strong commitment to building interdisciplinary connections within science, as well as vigorously engaging the study communities in the research to foster productive dialog among educators, students, and other researchers.EEG techniques have made important contributions to understanding dynamic processes in learning, attention, prospection, memory, and executive function. Newer measures, such as the complex Auditory Brainstem Response (cABR) reveal how the brain encodes sound, providing a powerful tool to link brain function to reading and language impairment. Traditional EEG methods are too cumbersome and intrusive for large- scale classroom use. Network researchers have developed a transformative low-cost, dry-electrode, high sampling rate EEG system that is ergonomic and suitable for children. Their software innovations, which enable the synchronization of large-group EEG recordings, will support data recording from twenty+ students simultaneously. These will contribute to at least two innovations in education-based research: 1) It will be possible for a large number of traditional, individual EEG tests to be conducted in parallel, vastly increasing study efficiency, yield and power, and 2) the more revolutionary step of assessing individual and group brain dynamics in ecological learning environments to obtain real-time insight into the dynamics of learning, speech comprehension, and attention. Four experimental goals have been proposed: 1) Identifying Individual Learning Differences with cABR, 2) Developing measures of nested hierarchical processing of speech, 3) Developing protocols for individual and group cognitive state (attention, alertness) assessment, and 4) examining how brain dynamics at a group level reflect speech comprehension in a classroom setting. In addition to its scientific goals, the network will foster scientific dialog by hosting a Workshop on "Brain Dynamics in Learning" to develop a roadmap for future research in the field.