paul howard jones[1]

8/2/2019 Paul Howard Jones[1]

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Neuroscience at the

school gates:Are we ready?

Paul Howard-JonesUniversity of Exeter 18th November

NEnet Neuro-Educational Research Network,University of Bristol


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Collaborative Frameworks:The 2005-2006 ESRC-TLRP seminar series

On Neuroscience and Education

400 teachers, neuroscientists,psychologists & policy-makers


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2007: The issues andopportunities

www.tlrp.org

110,000 downloadsin 6 months


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Areas of 1st contact

Developmental disorders (dyslexia,dyscalculia, autism, ADHD, etc)

Sleep and nutritionAdolescent behaviour and learning

Creativity

Motivation and engagementChallenge neuromyths(VAK,BrainGym,water)


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Developmental disorders:ADHD

The neuroscience of ADHD is still not clear

sufferers exhibit neural differences in areas such asthe anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex

treatment has increasingly involved thepsychoactive 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 anddisorganised than others; and the strongest influences onthis variation are genes that affect brain chemistry andneuropsychological functioning. (Eric Taylor)


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Developmental Disorders:Dyslexia

Attitudes & approaches:Biology is not destiny

Brain areas involved and changes in activity due to

remediation


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Dyscalculia

Understanding as

brain-baseddisorder

Interventionsbased on a newunderstanding ofmathematics

Developmental Disorders :Dyscalculia


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Adolescent behaviour & learning

Frontal and parietal cortices: synaptic pruning beginsafter puberty

Myelination (insulation of axons) continues in these brainregions 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)


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More futuristic 1st contact but here

Neurofeedback

Cognitive enhancers (smart pills)

Training of executive function (beyondNintendo Brain Training) and intelligence

Pre-literacy screening for risk of dyslexia

Genetic profiling


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And also here...the need forscrutiny...


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How would you like your

Neuroscience and Education?

Neuroscience and education

What is it?! What might it be?


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Menu

Neuroscience

Approved!

Neuroscience

Free!

Neuroscience

Included


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Education draws on multipleperspectives

SOCIAL BIOLOGICAL

EXPERIENTIAL

Understanding

Learning


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Neuro-educational research: the

developing and learning brain

Howard-Jones, 2007And not forgetting experiential/insider!!


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Example 1:

Fostering creativityNEnet


16/55Broader research cycle

Fostering creativity


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Questions from dialogue withpractitioners:

do random strategies foster creativity?

Make a up a story using 3 words:

shine brush teeth

zip cow star

"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

this, it wore a special rocket suit. The cow zipped up the space

suit, lit the blue touch paper and flew up over the star"

"The children were told that they must brush their teeth when

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."

Howard-Jones et al. (2005)


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Randomness fosters extra

generation and analysis of ideas

-produce creative stories and uncreative stories

-include word sets that were related &unrelated


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Correlates of creative storygeneration


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Where creative activityincreased when using random

words

frontal medial areas

- higher level control

Strategy increases intensity of creativity processing, more

novel possibilities but more analysis to filter them?

Howard-Jones et al. (2005)


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Broader research cycle



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Experiential (performanceethnography)

Participants: 3 professionalactors, a professionaltheatrical director, a dramaconsultant and theresearcher (PHJ) who also

participated actively in the 2-day workshop.

e.g. what do strategies feel like?


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Q: How do we minimise creativity (e.g. in thebe uncreative condition)?

A: Tendency to visually fixate on a single

unchanging and stereotypical scene and todescribe it (see PVC activation in fMRI study)

Q: What are the issues of control whenusing strategies based on randomness?

A: Small elements of randomnessassimilated almost spontaneously, butparticipants emphasised value of more timeto filter the many possibilities when greater

degrees of freedom possible

Example findings...

(+ film clips linking research and practice)


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Broader research cycle


T i T h t k hi f


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Trainee Teachers take ownership offindings: Action Research cycle


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Summary of co-construction processHoward-Jones, Winfield and Crimmins (2008)

1. an initial high degree of enthusiasm2. a flourishing of initial of somewhat behavioural

but conveniently prescriptive neuromyths3. a daunting realization that things were more

complex and required attention to cognition4. greater focus on cognition, with neuroscience

helping to biologise, concretise and deepenconcepts

5. emergence of concepts, language and reflectivecapability that allows deeper reflection, sensitivityand insights around personal practice in specificcontexts.


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1. Creative cognition as 2 modes: generative and analytical2. Creativity not entirely spontaneous teacher can identify

when students thinking must be more generative/analytical,enabling transition through environmental change or strategy

3. No creative brain area, Left-/right-brain theory unhelpful

4. Fixation & potential for metacognitive intervention5. Decisions to influence creative processes must consider

learner(s), their progress & wider context6. Extent of cortical activation suggests visualisation maybe an

under-utilized tool, e.g. visualising contextual changes

7. Strategies that require the making of unusual connectionsencourage rehearsal of creative thinking processes andactivation of associated brain regions. I.e. not just cognitiveshort-cuts and they have educational value. Imaging data +reported experience suggests such strategies are challengingand will require extra time for quality outcomes.

Some co-constructed concepts


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http://www.bris.ac.uk/education/research/networks/nenet
http://www.bris.ac.uk/education/people/academicStaff/edpahj/publications/construct.pdf


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Example 2:

Engagement, learning & gamesNEnet


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= Incentive motivation pathway

Mesolimbic Dopaminergic (DA) Pathway


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So: Wanting (dopaminergic reward system) is not always liking

Dopamine (DA) seems to play a role in the appetitivephase of motivation. DA deficient rats become lessinterested in searching out food, but they still like eating.

Opioids appear involved in the hedonicpleasures/consummatory of eatingthey dont influenceeffort to get food but they do reduce meal size


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Fiorillo et al. (2003)


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So 50:50 maximises dopaminerelease


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Supports animal learning(e.g. foraging)

Kalahari Bushman diggingfor roots

Outcomes at these oddsmay also produceconsiderable (further)emotional responsesubsequent to

success/failure and thatcan benefit more formallearning and memory i.e.of the educational type.


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Do humans prefer 50:50chances?

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 andemotional response to unexpected success.

Suggests:

a learning games approach: Can gaming elementsincrease uncertainty but with less penalties for esteem?

DA in reward system is a ready to learn signal thatorientates interest/attention??


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NENet research on learning games(Howard-Jones and Demetriou, 2008)

Finding 1: Children enjoy gaminguncertainty in learning games especiallyboys

Task: Ask your maths question from

Mr Certain (Correct -> 1 point)

Mr Uncertain (Correct -> coin toss, 2 or 0 pts


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30

40

50

60

70

80

1 6 11 16 21 26

Question number

Perc

entageofquestionsrequested

fromMrUncertain


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Finding 2: Gaming uncertainty cansubvert discourse around learning inpositive ways

Task: Wipe Out try to beat thecomputer at a quiz (Ralph Allen

Comprehensive School, Bath Yr 9Science, lowest set)


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Claims of unfairness were about the computerknowing the answers and suspicions that itmight be getting all the easy questions:

M2L: this isnt really a fair gameM2R: 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!


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Gaming uncertainty as a source of hope:

M2L: I want the computer to get a wipe out

M2R: get a oneM2L: because then we can actually get

some points

F1R: Hahaha - double one - what a loser


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Misfortune was generally attributed to bad luck and talkedabout (as in success) in gaming terms:

M2L: agh - we got obliterated. Completely annoying, wehavent had any good rolls

M2R: no

But success was still celebrated vigorously, and often inwords 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


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And wanting/liking dissociation?

F1R: Shall we play again?F1L: So annoying.

F1R: Dont mind .shall we?

F1L: Yeah, roll the dice


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Just a spoonful of sugar?

Finding 3: The emotional response tooutcomes of learning is increased byan element of gaming uncertainty

Task: Adults play wipeout (with and

without game element) while skin

response is measured


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Ongoing research: Neurocomputing

and the ready to learn DA signal

Q: In activities that closely combine gaming andlearning elements, is it possible to computesomething like the DA signal (i.e. positiveprediction error) and use this to predict whenlearning will and will not occur?

A: Yes at least in adults (Howard-Jones at al.,2009 BPS Annual Conf)


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Task with learning andgaming

Ongoing research Ne rocomp ting


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Gaming BehaviouralData

Computer Model ofBehaviour

Prediction Error (DA)signal

Prediction of whenlearning will occur

Neural Correlates ofthis Prediction Error

(DA) signal

Gaming Image Data

Ongoing research: Neurocomputingand the ready to learn DA signal


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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


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Preliminary image analysis showingactivity correlated with players

Prediction Error of own choicesinDorsal Striatal areas

Wh t d thi f


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What does this mean forpedagogy?

Also underway: Classroom based studies (w/otechnology), to co-construct understanding withteachers about learning games

High levels of engagement!


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High levels of engagement!(especially boys)

Neuroscience at the School


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Neuroscience at the SchoolGates: Are we ready?

In the past, Neuroscience has entered educationalthinking in the past through entrepreneurs who haveavoided 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 neuroscientistsproducing articles, books and even products foreducators. Neuro-educational research is becoming an

established venture


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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)


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Thanks for listening..

paul howard jones[1]

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