Gilbertson Rebecca J, Hessler Eric E, Leff Dustyn J
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812.
J Undergrad Neurosci Educ. 2022 Oct 1;20(3):A324-A331. doi: 10.59390/VUNA6753. eCollection 2022 Spring.
The Mobile Neuroscience Lab is a project that facilitates combined pedagogical strategies of active learning and neuroscience outreach as a service learning component of a physiological psychology course. The overall project goals were to improve science knowledge, foster oral communication, and encourage positive science attitudes and beliefs. Of these goals, positive science attitudes and beliefs were assessed. During active learning, university students completed hands-on activities corresponding to the physiological psychology course. Following, during the neuroscience outreach activity ("learning through teaching"), university students and middle school students engaged in small group activities (one university student to five middle school students) using the same hands-on activities. Assessment of the perceived benefit of the active learning showed that university and middle school students responded favorably to the hands-on activities. Students' science attitudes were also assessed (Hillman et al., 2016) using a pre-test, post-test design. Data showed that the neuroscience activity did not change middle school science attitudes and beliefs ( > .05), possibly as the science attitudes and beliefs were already positive (moderate to high) prior to the outreach activity. However, qualitative data showed that the aspect of the neuroscience outreach activity that most assisted the middle school students in their learning was seeing the brain, touching the brain, and social interaction with the university students. Overall, the pedagogical strategies of active learning, and "learning through teaching", were received with enthusiasm by university and secondary education students. Future studies will include classroom teachers' assessment of these hands-on activities.
移动神经科学实验室是一个项目，它促进了主动学习和神经科学推广相结合的教学策略，作为生理心理学课程服务学习的一部分。该项目的总体目标是提高科学知识、培养口头交流能力，并鼓励积极的科学态度和信念。在这些目标中，对积极的科学态度和信念进行了评估。在主动学习过程中，大学生完成了与生理心理学课程相应的实践活动。随后，在神经科学推广活动（“通过教学学习”）中，大学生和中学生使用相同的实践活动进行小组活动（一名大学生对五名中学生）。对主动学习感知益处的评估表明，大学生和中学生对实践活动反应良好。还使用前测、后测设计对学生的科学态度进行了评估（希尔曼等人，2016年）。数据显示，神经科学活动并未改变中学生的科学态度和信念（p>.05），这可能是因为在推广活动之前，科学态度和信念已经是积极的（中等至高）。然而，定性数据表明，神经科学推广活动中最有助于中学生学习的方面是观察大脑、触摸大脑以及与大学生的社交互动。总体而言，主动学习和“通过教学学习”的教学策略受到了大学生和中学生的热烈欢迎。未来的研究将包括课堂教师对这些实践活动的评估。
