Trends in Neuroscience and Education最新文献

Background

Method

Results

Conclusions

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Background

Purpose

Methods

Main Findings

Conclusion

Background

Evidence from the science of learning suggests that playful learning pedagogical approaches exist along a spectrum and can support student learning. Leveraging active engagement, iterative, socially interactive, meaningful, and joyful interactions with content also supports student learning. Translating these concepts into guidance and support for teachers is lacking.

Method

We introduce a tool designed to support teachers in implementing across the facilitation spectrum and leverage the characteristics that help children learn. Across three international contexts, we engaged with 1207 teachers and the tool was used 4911 times.

Results

Student age, the intended learning goal, and context influenced teachers’ use of the tool, suggesting that contextualization is critical, even when basing programs on evidence-based, universal principles given by the science of learning.

Conclusion

Science of learning research must be effectively translated but we must use evidence from teachers and real-life classrooms to inform those studying the science of learning.

Purpose

Does suppression of mirror-invariance in one script generalize to a subsequently learned script?

Method

We examined mirror invariance in writing and recognition among native Latin-scriptal children and adults (n = 181) learning the Hebrew print script (for reading), and among a subset (n = 92) also learning the Hebrew cursive script (for writing). Hebrew-Latin biscriptal Israeli adults (n = 17) provided comparison.

Results

For the most part, mirror invariance was more evident in Hebrew print than in Latin in both writing and recognition among native Latin-scriptals. The number of previously acquired scripts had no effect. Letters’ text-frequency inversely affected written mirror-error frequency. Written reversal errors were less frequent in cursive; orientation recognition was more fluent in print.

Conclusions

Mirror-invariance suppression in one's native script does not generalize to a subsequently acquired script. Factors affecting mirror-invariance suppression in the subsequent script include its form and function and individual letters’ text-frequency.

Introduction

This study focuses on 'learning prerequisites', cognitive and non-cognitive skills crucial for school success, often measured in preschoolers. Executive Functions (EF), like inhibition and cognitive flexibility, are vital among these prerequisites. While EF's role in early literacy and numeracy is acknowledged, some components are often overlooked.

Objective

The study aims to longitudinally explore the link between EF, assessed at the beginning of the preschool year and the learning prerequites, measured at the end of the same preschool year.

Method and Results

Evaluating 70 preschoolers (62.30 months, SD 4.55), results showed that certain EF measures predicted performance in literacy and numeracy tasks. Specifically, response inhibition predicted rhyme and syllable recognition, series completion, and cognitive flexibility predicted rhyme recognition. Moreover, EF, particularly response inhibition, correlated with overall metaphonology and pre-math abilities.

Conclusion

The findings suggest the importance of integrating EF enhancement in early educational interventions, aiding in selecting and optimizing EF skills crucial for later academic success.

Background

Problem-solving and learning in mathematics involves sensory perception and processing. Multisensory integration may contribute by enhancing sensory estimates. This study aims to assess if combining visual and somatosensory information improves elementary students' perimeter and area estimates.

Methods

87 4th graders compared rectangles with respect to area or perimeter either solely using visual observation or additionally with somatosensory information. Three experiments targeted different task aspects. Statistical analyses tested success rates and response times.

Results

Contrary to expectations, adding somatosensory information did not boost success rates for area and perimeter comparison. Response time even increased with adding somatosensory information. Children's difficulty in accurately tracing figures negatively impacted the success rate of area comparisons.

Discussion

Results suggest visual observation alone suffices for accurately estimating and comparing area and perimeter of rectangles in 4th graders.

Implications

Careful deliberation on the inclusion of somatosensory information in mathematical tasks concerning perimeter and area estimations of rectangles is recommended.

Background

Executive functions (EFs) are thought to work in concert to support academic skill. However, EFs are often examined independently, obscuring their symbiotic contribution. We examined the relationship between students’ holistic EF profiles and their academic success.

Methods

We sampled over 1200 7–15 year old students from a diverse school district (16 % White; 32 % low income) in the United States. We used 9 EF assessments to construct cognitive profiles via self-organizing maps. We then related profiles to academic achievement scores from both laboratory-based assessments and state-administered standardized tests of reading and math.

Results

Six profiles differed in EF performance, but their differences in academic achievement did not suggest a linear relationship between individual EFs and academic skill.

Conclusions

We show cognitive profiles based on individual strengths and weaknesses in EFs can reveal multiple cognitive paths to the same academic outcome.