SL-CN: Group Brain Dynamics in Learning Network

长期以来，电生理学在我们理解学习过程中的大脑动力学方面一直发挥着重要作用，但这只是在个体层面上。随着低成本、易于使用的脑电图（EEG）设备的出现，它可以一次测量整个教室的大脑反应，现在有可能在自然主义课堂环境中学习期间研究小组大脑动态。这是一个从成千上万的学生和学校收集数据的机会，将提供以前方法无法获得的见解。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，目前的项目将形成一个专家研究网络，以开发和测试新的脑电图方法来测量群体大脑动力学。该网络包括儿童发展、学习脑电图技术、课堂教学和外展方面的专家。合作研究将在三个反映不同人口的地理区域进行：圣地亚哥、旧金山湾区和华盛顿特区。研究将集中于评估重要的基础技能：利用脑电图评估大脑的语言编码质量，利用脑电图评估实时注意力，以及研究时间同步在促进注意行为中的作用。除了研究之外，该项目还致力于建立科学领域内的跨学科联系，并积极参与研究社区，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。脑电图技术在理解学习、注意、前瞻、记忆和执行功能的动态过程方面做出了重要贡献。较新的测量方法，如复杂的听觉脑干反应（cABR），揭示了大脑如何编码声音，为将大脑功能与阅读和语言障碍联系起来提供了有力的工具。传统的脑电图方法对于大规模的课堂应用来说过于繁琐和干扰。网络研究人员开发了一种革命性的低成本，干电极，高采样率的脑电图系统，符合人体工程学，适合儿童使用。他们的软件创新，使大组脑电图记录同步，将支持20多个学生同时记录数据。这些将有助于在基于教育的研究中至少有两项创新：1)大量传统的个人脑电图测试将有可能并行进行，极大地提高学习效率、产出和功率；2)在生态学习环境中评估个人和群体大脑动态的更具革命性的步骤，以获得对学习、语言理解和注意力动态的实时洞察。本文提出了四个实验目标：1)用cABR识别个体学习差异；2)开发言语嵌套分层处理的测量方法；3)开发个体和群体认知状态（注意、警觉性）评估的协议；4)研究群体层面的大脑动态如何反映课堂环境下的言语理解。除了科学目标之外，该网络还将通过举办“学习中的大脑动力学”研讨会来促进科学对话，为该领域的未来研究制定路线图。

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.