National Science Foundation Grant: Using Neurophysiological Tools to Understand How Individual Characteristics Relate to Cognitive Behaviors of Students
Adriane B. Randolph and Kimberly Linenberger Cortes
Overview Neurophysiological tools are increasingly used to examine cognitive behaviors in cross-disciplinary educational settings. In a three-year study funded by the National Science Foundation, “Collaborative Research: Modeling for the Enhancement of Learning Chemistry (ModEL-C): Measuring cognitive load & impact of modeling activities across the chemistry curriculum,” Drs. Adriane B. Randolph (Department of Information Systems) and Kimberly Linenberger Cortes (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry), in collaboration with faculty at the University of Minnesota Rochester, are using brainwaves and eye-tracking technologies to model the cognitive load of undergraduate chemistry students. In one study, they recorded the EEG of students interacting with an information system for visualizing molecules and found that meditation, levels of athleticism, and medication affecting alertness practices significantly and positively correlate with increased cognitive load. Neurophysiological tools may enable instructional designers to facilitate students’ engagement without overloading them. The NSF award, issued under the Education and Human Resources program for Improving Undergraduate STEM Education, concludes this spring, but a no-cost extension will support another year of data collection and analysis.
16 | Research Grant
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