Introducing Neuroscience and Neurocomputation Concepts to High School Students using Brain-based Neurorobots

使用基于大脑的神经机器人向高中生介绍神经科学和神经计算概念

• 批准号: 10385012
• 负责人: Gregory John Gage
• 金额: $ 92.82万
• 依托单位: BACKYARD BRAINS, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10385012
• 关键词: Address; Adopted; Affect; Architecture; Base of the Brain; Behavior; Belief; Biological; Biological Models; Biology; Brain; Brain Diseases; Code; Communities; Computer Models; Computer Simulation; Computer software; Computers; Conceptions; Development; Ear; Education; Educational Curriculum; Educational workshop; Electrophysiology (science); Engineering; Ensure; Equipment; Evaluation; Exercise; Eye; Faculty Workshop; Family; Feedback; Future Teacher; Goals; Growth; High School Student; Individual; Institution; Investigation; K-12 Faculty; Learning; Life; Mathematics; Medicine; Mind; Modeling; Modernization; Motor; Nervous system structure; Neurosciences; Neurosciences Research; Next Generation Science Standards; Outcome; Phase; Philosophy; Physicians; Policy Maker; Population; Price; Production; Psychology; Research; Research Personnel; Resources; Robot; Robotics; Running; SECTM1 gene; Schools; Science; Scientist; Secondary Schools; Self Concept; Self Efficacy; Sensory; Students; System; Teacher Professional Development; Technology; Training; Universities; World Health Organization; base; brain behavior; cloud based; commercial application; commercialization; computational neuroscience; cost; design; disadvantaged student; effective therapy; experience; experimental study; fascinate; handheld mobile device; high school; higher education; improved; innovation; inquiry-based learning; laptop; microphone; multidisciplinary; neural network; next generation; project-based learning; prototype; science museum; success; teacher; tool

PROJECT SUMMARY Understanding the brain is a profound and fascinating challenge, captivating the scientific community and the public alike. The lack of effective treatment for most brain disorders makes training the next generation of neuroscientists, engineers and physicians a key concern. However, much neuroscience is perceived to be too difficult to be taught in school. To make neuroscience accessible and engaging to students and teachers, Backyard Brains is developing SpikerBots: fun and affordable robots that look like brains and are controlled by computer simulations of biological brains. The SpikerBots and associated software and curriculum require no background in neuroscience or programming, and allow students to investigate meaningful questions about mind, brain and behavior by designing artificial brains that make the robots’ behavior life-like, sensory-guided and goal-directed. These brain design exercises engage students in active, project-based learning, which has been shown to improve STEM outcomes, especially among disadvantaged students. In Phase I, we showed that SpikerBots with camera-eyes, microphone-ears, speakers, 2-wheel drive and WiFi, controlled by spiking neural networks simulated on laptops, enabled 295 high school students participating in a 1-week workshop to learn neuroscience concepts, solve brain design challenges, and develop self-confidence in neuroscience. In Phase II, we will (1) develop production-ready SpikerBot hardware that reduces costs and improves durability, (2) design a cloud-based application for cross-platform functionality on low-cost laptops, and (3) develop a curriculum and set of teacher onboarding materials, including recurring teacher workshops, held at 3 science museums, on employing inquiry-based learning to teach effectively using the SpikerBot. Education researchers at Purdue University will continue to conduct evaluation of students’ and teachers’ experiences and learning gains. We intend to sell our neurorobots directly to customers, and through our education channel partners at a price of $150 per robot. While the SpikerBot is designed for secondary education, primary and higher education sectors as well as individuals and families can also benefit from the technology. Our long-term aim is to encourage education policy makers to adopt more neuroscience science standards by demonstrating an effective neuroscience curriculum organized around biological and computational concepts that embrace the philosophy of the Next Generation Science Standards. By combining neuroscience, a multidisciplinary field that spans biology, medicine, psychology, mathematics, and engineering, with robotics and active, project-based learning, our SpikerBot and curriculum will improve STEM-education and inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and physicians.

项目摘要 了解大脑是一个深刻而迷人的挑战，吸引了科学界和科学家。 公众一样。对大多数大脑疾病缺乏有效的治疗，使得训练成为下一代的 神经科学家、工程师和医生是一个关键问题。然而，许多神经科学被认为是太 很难在学校里教。为了让学生和教师能够接触到神经科学并参与其中， Backyard Brains正在开发SpikerBots：有趣且价格实惠的机器人，看起来像大脑，由 生物大脑的计算机模拟SpikerBots和相关的软件和课程不需要 在神经科学或编程背景，并允许学生调查有意义的问题， 通过设计人工大脑，使机器人的行为栩栩如生， 有目的的这些大脑设计练习让学生积极参与基于项目的学习， 已被证明可以改善STEM成果，特别是在弱势学生中。在第一阶段，我们展示了 SpikerBots有摄像头、麦克风、扬声器、两轮驱动和WiFi， 在笔记本电脑上模拟的神经网络，使295名高中生参加了为期一周的研讨会， 学习神经科学的概念，解决大脑设计的挑战，并发展神经科学的自信心。在 第二阶段，我们将（1）开发生产就绪的SpikerBot硬件，降低成本，提高耐用性， (2)设计一个基于云的应用程序，在低成本笔记本电脑上实现跨平台功能，以及（3）开发一个 课程和一套教师入职材料，包括经常性的教师讲习班， 博物馆，采用探究式学习，有效地使用SpikerBot教学。教育研究者 在普渡大学将继续进行评估学生和教师的经验和学习 收益.我们打算直接向客户销售我们的神经机器人，并通过我们的教育渠道合作伙伴， 每台机器人150美元。虽然SpikerBot是专为中学教育，小学和高等教育 教育部门以及个人和家庭也可以从这项技术中受益。我们的长期目标是 鼓励教育政策制定者通过展示一个新的神经科学标准来采用更多的神经科学标准， 有效的神经科学课程围绕生物学和计算概念组织， 下一代科学标准的哲学。通过结合神经科学，一个多学科领域， 跨越生物学，医学，心理学，数学和工程，与机器人和积极的，基于项目的 我们的SpikerBot和课程将改善STEM教育，并激励下一代 科学家、工程师和医生。