Eighth International School On Mind, Brain And Education

2013 July 30 - August 04

Research Center for Learning Science, South East University, Nanjing, China

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Digitalization of education from a cognitive-science perspective
The Pilot Project “Learning By Doing (LBD)” is an Inquiry Based Science Education and Learning（IBSE） in Kindergartens and Primary Schools (5-12years) in China，which has been co-initiated by Ministry of Education and China Association for Science and Technology in Aug. 2001, aimed at promoting the children’s science education as well as their holistic development and wellbeing. After 10 years’ practice, LBD reach out to 22 provinces and benefiting over 200,000 students and Thousands teachers. LBD has become a sound foundation for revising the National Standard of Science Education in Primary Schools and promoting the national policy changing on early child development. LBD has got Purkwa Price in 2006 and the First Class Award of Education Research from MOE, China in 2010.
The unique character of LBD is to apply the research of Neuroeducation to IBSE. Just one year later to initiating LBD, in 2002 Research Center of Learning Science has been founded at Southeast University. The trans-disciplinary research on Neuroeducation not only can support the pedagogy of IBSE but also create scientific tools applying to measuring learning outcome in classroom practices. Four series of instruments and software are being developed in our center: (1) Multiuser On-line Assessment and Record System for Inquiry-Based Education, its core technology includes Inquiry-Based Teaching Pedagogy, teaching and learning materials. The system can provide the response opportunity to over 40 learners (students or teachers in training, see the attached picture), the teacher can record the answers from all learners at same time and analysis it on-line in order to know the learners’ cognitive outcomes and learning progression to provide the prompt teaching and learning contents with suitable Inquiry-Based Education methods. (2) Social Emotional Competence Assessment System, in which the recent research will be focused on empathy and communication. In addition to the traditional questionnaire, this system will also utilize the physiological signal analysis, behavior analysis and the facial expression recognition, such that the assessment of empathy as well as the related social emotional competence becomes more reliable. (3) Evaluating Executive Function System. Virtual reality created by computer and the wearable EEG senor measuring connected to database form the major parts of the system. (4) Estimating key concept proficiency system. Virtual reality created by computer and the EEG/ERP technology are combined together.
All above measuring is aimed to support education pedagogy changing with evidence based data, which may record the development pathway of learners and reflect the progress of learners during IBSE activities. Such Systems can be accessed also via internet.