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EEG的认知神经科学 课程。在BrainWaves中，高中生（10年级和11年级）将成为脑科学家， 原创学习自己的创作：他们将提供内容知识和实践来设计 并在他们自己的教室里使用便携式低 成本脑电波测量设备（脑电图（EEG）耳机）。拟议的课程有 两个单位。第一个单元，将由以前的SEPA资助的项目提供信息，包括广泛的 介绍认知神经科学内容和实验设计。学生将被训练使用 EEG耳机，并将了解设计神经科学研究的过程以及研究伦理 问题.课程的第二单元将在干预组和控制组之间有所不同。 干预组的学生将首先以小组形式提出一个原创性的研究问题， 制定详细计划以执行EEG研究。然后，他们将评估不同的建议，并选择 一个将在课堂上进行的实验。接下来，学生将设计实验，收集数据， 分析它，最后与他们的社区分享他们的结果（例如，通过科学公平）。在这个过程中， 学生们将由他们的科学老师以及纽约大学附属的神经科学家指导。控制 小组将涉及EEG研究论文的期刊俱乐部式讨论。课程将伴随 由一个开放科学，开源软件包（OpenEXP），将引导学生通过的过程， 设计实验，收集和分析数据。最后，我们将开发一个专业的 教师和科学导师的发展课程，明确强调在以下方面指导学生： 研究项目。 该提案提出的主要教育研究问题可表述如下： 1)技术支持的、基于探究的神经科学课程（脑波）是否会影响学生 神经科学内容和实验设计的理解和他们对科学的态度？ 2)参与脑波课程和项目资源如何影响教师的 对神经科学教学的态度 该计划的评估将在三年内每年在10所学校进行。学校将随机 每学期分配到干预组或对照组。脑波对学生的影响将是 使用项目前和项目后调查进行评估。教师专业发展的有效性， 教学实施将通过课堂观察和教师调查进行评估。

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.