Neuroscience at the school gates: Are we ready?

Paul Howard-Jones University of Exeter 18th November

NEnet

Neuro-Educational Research Network, University of Bristol

Collaborative Frameworks: The 2005-2006 ESRC-TLRP seminar series On Neuroscience and Education

400 teachers, neuroscientists, psychologists & policy-makers

2007: The issues and opportunities

110,000 downloads in 6 months

www.tlrp.org

Areas of

st 1

contact

Developmental disorders (dyslexia, dyscalculia, autism, ADHD, etc) Sleep and nutrition Adolescent behaviour and learning Creativity Motivation and engagement Challenge neuromyths(VAK,Brain Gym,water)

Developmental disorders: ADHD

The neuroscience of ADHD is still not clear sufferers exhibit neural differences in areas such as the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex treatment has increasingly involved the psychoactive drug methylphenidate (e.g. Ritalin).
1991: 2000 prescriptions, 2005: 359,000 The idea of ADHD ..... identifies an important way in which children differ. Some are much more impulsive, restless and disorganised than others; and the strongest influences on this variation are genes that affect brain chemistry and neuropsychological functioning. (Eric Taylor)

Developmental Disorders: Dyslexia

Attitudes & approaches:Biology is not destiny
Brain areas involved and changes in activity due to remediation

Developmental Disorders : Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia
Understanding as brain-based disorder Interventions based on a new understanding of mathematics

Adolescent behaviour & learning

Frontal and parietal cortices: synaptic pruning begins after puberty Myelination (insulation of axons) continues in these brain regions during puberty These brain changes have implications for
directing attention planning future tasks inhibiting inappropriate behaviour Multitasking variety of socially-orientated skills Teens even show a pubertal dip in some areas: matching faces to names of expressions and perspective-taking A plateau has also been found for prospective memory (e.g. remembering appointments)

More futuristic 1st contact but here

Neurofeedback Cognitive enhancers (smart pills) Training of executive function (beyond Nintendo Brain Training) and intelligence Pre-literacy screening for risk of dyslexia Genetic profiling

And also here...the need for scrutiny...

Neuroscience and education What is it?! What might it be?

How would you like your Neuroscience and Education?

Menu

Neuroscience
Approved!

Neuroscience
Free!

Neuroscience
Included

Education draws on multiple perspectives

EXPERIENTIAL

Understanding Learning

SOCIAL

BIOLOGICAL

Neuro-educational research: the developing and learning brain

And not forgetting experiential/insider!!

Howard-Jones, 2007

Example 1: Fostering creativity

NEnet

Fostering creativity

Broader research cycle

Questions from dialogue with practitioners: do random strategies foster creativity?

Make a up a story using 3 words:
"The children were told that they must brush their teeth when shine brush teeth they are young in order to make them shine and that they wouldn't have any friends if their teeth weren't shiny. So every single night, the children brushed their teeth to make them shine."

"This cow got so fed up with people doubting that cows could jump over the moon that it decided to jump over a star. To do star this, it wore azip special rocket cow The cow zipped up the space suit. suit, lit the blue touch paper and flew up over the star"
Howard-Jones et al. (2005)

Randomness fosters extra generation and analysis of ideas

-produce creative stories and uncreative stories -include word sets that were related & unrelated

Correlates of creative story generation

Where creative activity increased when using random words

frontal medial areas - higher level control

Howard-Jones et al. (2005)

Strategy increases intensity of creativity processing, more novel possibilities but more analysis to filter them?

Fostering creativity

Broader research cycle

Experiential (performance ethnography)

e.g. what do strategies feel like? Participants: 3 professional actors, a professional theatrical director, a drama consultant and the researcher (PHJ) who also participated actively in the 2day workshop.

Example findings...
Q: How do we minimise creativity (e.g. in the be uncreative condition)?
A: Tendency to visually fixate on a single unchanging and stereotypical scene and to describe it (see PVC activation in fMRI study) Q: What are the issues of control when using strategies based on randomness? A: Small elements of randomness assimilated almost spontaneously, but participants emphasised value of more time to filter the many possibilities when greater degrees of freedom possible

(+ film clips linking research and practice)

Fostering creativity

Broader research cycle

Trainee Teachers take ownership of findings: Action Research cycle

Summary of co-construction process

Howard-Jones, Winfield and Crimmins (2008)

1. an initial high degree of enthusiasm 2. a flourishing of initial of somewhat behavioural but conveniently prescriptive neuromyths 3. a daunting realization that things were more complex and required attention to cognition 4. greater focus on cognition, with neuroscience helping to biologise, concretise and deepen concepts 5. emergence of concepts, language and reflective capability that allows deeper reflection, sensitivity and insights around personal practice in specific contexts.

Some co-constructed concepts

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Creative cognition as 2 modes: generative and analytical Creativity not entirely spontaneous teacher can identify when students thinking must be more generative/analytical, enabling transition through environmental change or strategy No creative brain area, Left-/right-brain theory unhelpful Fixation & potential for metacognitive intervention Decisions to influence creative processes must consider learner(s), their progress & wider context Extent of cortical activation suggests visualisation maybe an under-utilized tool, e.g. visualising contextual changes Strategies that require the making of unusual connections encourage rehearsal of creative thinking processes and activation of associated brain regions. I.e. not just cognitive short-cuts and they have educational value. Imaging data + reported experience suggests such strategies are challenging and will require extra time for quality outcomes.

http://www.bris.ac.uk/education/research/networks/nenet

Example 2: Engagement, learning & games

NEnet

Mesolimbic Dopaminergic (DA) Pathway

= Incentive motivation pathway

Dopamine (DA) seems to play a role in the appetitive phase of motivation. DA deficient rats become less interested in searching out food, but they still like eating. Opioids appear involved in the hedonic pleasures/consummatory of eating they dont influence effort to get food but they do reduce meal size So: Wanting (dopaminergic reward system) is not always liking

Fiorillo et al. (2003)

So 50:50 maximises dopamine release

Supports animal learning (e.g. foraging)

Kalahari Bushman digging for roots Outcomes at these odds may also produce considerable (further) emotional response subsequent to success/failure and that can benefit more formal learning and memory i.e. of the educational type.

Do humans prefer 50:50 chances?

Yes, but not in school, where children prefer risks of ~90% Intellectual failure ->self and social esteem Problem for emotional engagement: reduced signals (linked to motivation) in the animal reward system and emotional response to unexpected success. Suggests: a learning games approach: Can gaming elements increase uncertainty but with less penalties for esteem? DA in reward system is a ready to learn signal that orientates interest/attention??

NENet research on learning games

(Howard-Jones and Demetriou, 2008)

Finding 1: Children enjoy gaming uncertainty in learning games especially boys Task: Ask your maths question from Mr Certain (Correct -> 1 point) Mr Uncertain (Correct -> coin toss, 2 or 0 pts

Percentage of questions requested from Mr Uncertain

30 1 6 11 16 21 26 Question number 40 50 60 70 80

 Finding 2: Gaming uncertainty can subvert discourse around learning in positive ways Task: Wipe Out try to beat the computer at a quiz (Ralph Allen Comprehensive School, Bath Yr 9 Science, lowest set)

 Claims of unfairness were about the computer knowing the answers and suspicions that it might be getting all the easy questions: M2L: this isnt really a fair game M2R: yea its not because the computer knows the answers M2R: ..why is he, why is the computer getting all the easy ones?
Not about losing all points due to dice throw!

Gaming uncertainty as a source of hope: M2L: I want the computer to get a wipe out M2R: get a one M2L: because then we can actually get some points

F1R: Hahaha - double one - what a loser

Misfortune was generally attributed to bad luck and talked about (as in success) in gaming terms: M2L: agh - we got obliterated. Completely annoying, we havent had any good rolls M2R: no But success was still celebrated vigorously, and often in words that expressed a triumph of ability (and in the case of pairs F1 and M1 with singing and dancing): F1R: Were just too good - I cant believe were doing good

And wanting/liking dissociation?

F1R: Shall we play again? F1L: So annoying. F1R: Dont mind .shall we? F1L: Yeah, roll the dice

Just a spoonful of sugar?

Finding 3: The emotional response to outcomes of learning is increased by an element of gaming uncertainty Task: Adults play wipeout (with and without game element) while skin response is measured

Ongoing research: Neurocomputing and the ready to learn DA signal

Q: In activities that closely combine gaming and learning elements, is it possible to compute something like the DA signal (i.e. positive prediction error) and use this to predict when learning will and will not occur? A: Yes at least in adults (Howard-Jones at al., 2009 BPS Annual Conf)

Task with learning and gaming

Ongoing research: Neurocomputing and the ready to learn DA signal

Gaming Behavioural Data Gaming Image Data Prediction Error (DA) signal Computer Model of Behaviour

Prediction of when learning will occur Neural Correlates of this Prediction Error (DA) signal

Computer modelling (using UoBs high performance computing facility) can be used to study the brains response in more complex (and relevant) gaming situations - e.g. when observing a competitors behaviour

Preliminary image analysis showing activity correlated with players Prediction Error of own choices in Dorsal Striatal areas

What does this mean for pedagogy?

Also underway: Classroom based studies (w/o technology), to co-construct understanding with teachers about learning games

High levels of engagement! (especially boys)

Neuroscience at the School Gates: Are we ready?

In the past, Neuroscience has entered educational thinking in the past through entrepreneurs who have avoided scrutiny A dialogue has now begun between education and neuroscience: OECD Brain and Learning Project (2000-2007) ESRC-TLRP Seminar Series Brain, Mind and Education Journal (Blackwells) launched 07 BERA SIG from 07, Cambridge Neuro & Ed Centre, NEnet In past 10 years, increasing examples of neuroscientists producing articles, books and even products for educators. Neuro-educational research is becoming an established venture

Can/should neuroscience enter the school gates ONLY through collaborative research and co-construction of concepts? If so, there are significant challenges:

For neuro-educational researchers:

Language and communication Methodology (epistemology & philosophy) Ethics For policy-makers:

Horizon scanning Research funding Imminent issues requiring consultation (e.g. cognitive enhancers, brain reading/screening, genetic profiling)

Thanks for listening..