Broadening Participation Research Grant: Improving Minority Student Mathematics Performance and Persistence in STEM Majors Through Cognitive Training

弗吉尼亚州立大学的扩大STEM教育参与研究项目名为-通过认知培训提高少数族裔学生在STEM专业的数学表现和坚持性-是来自心理学、生物学和数学与计算机科学系的研究人员共同努力的结果。本研究的总体目标是开发和评估认知训练干预对少数民族STEM学生工作记忆成绩的有效性，从而提高他们的数学成绩。具体目标包括：建立和评估认知技能培训对少数族裔STEM学生工作记忆和数学成绩的影响；开发心理社会和认知变量对这些学生治疗效果的中介和调节作用模型；通过fMRI扫描评估每种干预措施带来的神经变化；对注意力、工作记忆和处理速度等认知技能的直接培训，代表了一种发展STEM成功所需的潜在认知结构的独特方法，本研究将证明这些干预措施的有效性，并允许更详细地绘制数学成绩培训的神经关联图。该项目将提供必要的数据，以促进这些独特的教育干预措施的传播和实施，并将对增加准备进入STEM职业生涯的少数族裔学生人数产生影响。它还将允许培训大量的少数族裔本科生和研究生助理，这将影响寻求神经科学研究生涯的少数族裔学生的数量。

Virginia State University's Broadening Participation Research in STEM Education Project entitled - Improving Minority Student Mathematics Performance and Persistence in STEM Majors Through Cognitive Training - is a joint effort among investigators from the departments of Psychology, Biology, and Mathematics & Computer Science. The overall goal of this research project is to develop and assess the efficacy of cognitive training interventions on working memory performance in minority STEM students which leads to improved mathematics performance. Specific aims include the following: institute and assess the impact of cognitive skills training on working memory and mathematics performance in minority STEM students; develop a model of the mediating and moderating effects of psychosocial and cognitive variables on treatment effects among these students; assess neural changes brought about by each of these interventions through pre- and post- f-MRI scans; and assess the sustainability of the gains through scans one and two years after the initial training.Direct training of cognitive skills such as attention, working memory, and processing speed, represents a unique method of developing the underlying cognitive architecture needed for success in STEM, and this research will both demonstrate the efficacy of these interventions, as well as allow for a more detailed mapping of the neural correlates of the training for mathematical performance. This project will provide the necessary data to facilitate the dissemination and implementation of these unique educational interventions, and will have an impact on increasing the number of minority students prepared to enter a STEM career. It will also allow for the training of a large number of minority undergraduate and graduate assistants, which will impact the number of minority students pursuing a research career in neuroscience.