BrainWaves: an EEG-based neuroscience curriculum development and teacher training for underserved high schools

摘要 纽约大学(NYU)神经科学中心、教学与学习系和 高等教育成果研究中心将与纽约市服务不足的公立高中合作 学校开发、实施、评估和传播创新的基于脑电的认知神经科学 课程设置。在脑电波中，高中生(10年级和11年级)将在一年内成为脑科学家 原创学习自己的创作：将为他们提供设计的内容知识和实践 并在自己的教室里使用便携式Low进行全面的神经科学研究 成本脑波测量设备(脑电(EEG)耳机)。拟议的课程具有 两个单位。第一个单位将由以前由国家环保总局资助的项目提供信息，包括一个广泛的 介绍认知神经科学的内容和实验设计。学生将接受培训，学会使用 EEG耳机，并将了解神经科学研究的设计过程以及研究伦理 问题。课程的第二单元在干预组和控制组将有所不同。 干预组的学生将首先以小组形式提出一个原创的研究问题，并 制定实施脑电研究的详细计划。然后，他们将评估不同的提案并选择 一项将在课堂上进行的研究。接下来，学生们将设计实验，收集数据和 分析它，最后与他们的社区分享他们的结果(例如，通过科学博览会)。在这个过程中， 学生们将得到他们的科学老师以及纽约大学附属神经学家的指导。该控件 小组将包括EEG研究论文的期刊俱乐部式的讨论。课程将伴随着 由一个开放科学、开放源码的软件包(OpenEXP)提供，它将指导学生完成 设计他们的实验，以及收集和分析数据。最后，我们将开发一种专业的 面向教师和科学导师的发展课程，明确强调在 研究项目。 本提案提出的主要教育研究问题可表述如下： 1)技术支持的探究式神经科学课程(脑电波)对学生有影响吗 对神经科学内容和实验设计的理解及其对科学的态度？ 2)与BrainWave课程和计划资源的接触如何影响教师 对神经科学教学的态度？ 该项目每年将在10所学校进行为期三年的评估。学校将是随机的 每学期分配到干预组或对照组。脑电波对学生的影响将是 使用计划前和计划后的调查进行评估。教师专业发展的有效性和有效性 将通过课堂观察和教师调查来评估教学实施情况。

Abstract New York University's (NYU) Center for Neural Science, the Department of Teaching and Learning and the Center for Research on Higher Education Outcomes will partner with New York City underserved public high schools to develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate an innovative EEG-based cognitive neuroscience curriculum. In BrainWaves, high school students (10th and 11th grades) will become brain scientists in an original study of their own creation: They will be provided with the content knowledge and practices to design and conduct a comprehensive neuroscience research study in their own classroom with the use of portable low cost brainwave measuring devices (electroencephalography (EEG) headsets). The proposed curriculum has two units. The first unit, which will be informed by previous SEPA-funded programs, consists of a broad introduction to both cognitive neuroscience content and experimental design. Students will be trained to use EEG headsets and will learn about the process of designing a neuroscience study as well as research ethics issues. The second unit of the curriculum will differ across the intervention group and the control group. Students in the intervention group will first work in small teams to propose an original research question and formulate a detailed plan to execute an EEG study. They will then evaluate the different proposals and select one that will be carried out in the classroom. Next, students will design the experiment, collect data and analyze it, and lastly share their results with their community (e.g., through a science fair). In the process, students will be mentored by their science teacher as well as a neuroscientist affiliated with NYU. The control group will involve journal club style discussions of EEG research papers. The curriculum will be accompanied by an open-science, open-source software package (OpenEXP) that will guide students through the process of designing their experiments, as well as collecting and analyzing data. Finally, we will develop a professional development course for teachers and science mentors with an explicit emphasis on mentoring students in research projects. The main educational research questions posed in this proposal can be formulated as follows: 1) Does a technology supported, inquiry-based neuroscience curriculum (BrainWaves) impact student understandings of neuroscience content and experimental design and their attitudes toward science? 2) How does engagement with the BrainWaves curriculum and program resources affect teachers' attitudes towards neuroscience teaching? The program evaluation will take place over three years in 10 schools every year. Schools will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control group every semester. The Impact of BrainWaves on students will be assessed using pre- and post-program surveys. The effectiveness of teachers' professional development and instructional implementation will be evaluated with classroom observations and teacher surveys.