Changes in the brain connectome architecture induced by different learning experiences, and their association with the quality of learning.
Project description
Acquisition of new skills, whether it is motor skills, language, arithmetic, or any other skill, is the process that leads our life on a day-to-day basis. It is not surprising to think that different students learn differently. Various elements such as educational background, learning styles, or social interactions might all affect the student’s response to different teaching methods. Over the years, it has become apparent that traditional teaching methods should be reconsidered. One such example is the growing use of active learning, whether in game or problem based form. These methods accelerate learning in a more personalized manner, as well as increase the individual interest, and hence reward mechanism, leading to more engagement in learning.
The need to search for alternative modes of teaching has become even more dramatic in the post-Covid period, as due to restriction, teachers had to develop ad-hoc tools to remotely teach students – with a variable degree of success. This has obviously boosted the process of revisiting how we define learning processes and how we can integrate digital (and other) tools to enhance more efficient, individual learning. As neuroplasticity is one of the key mechanisms in learning it is suggested that learning success, capacity to learn, engagement in learning will be reflected in various brain measures.
In Our project, we will use Using real-life learning experiences, to examine how the brain connectome structure may reflect the different types of learning and the inter-subject difference in response to each learning experience. Participants will undergo a course in either programing or arithmetic thinking, in groups defined by the type of learning experience (theoretical in person, problem-based or virtual). Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we will examine the changes in both the structural and functional connectomes induced by the different experiences. We hope that this work will provide new insights into the neural mechanisms underlying different learning experiences. This, as well as explore the inter-subject differences in learning as a means to improve personalized learning experiences for students.
About me
Ronnie Krupnik, recived her B.S.c in Psycho-Biology in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2018. Ronnie had recently finished her M.S.c under the supervision of Prof. Yaniv Assaf at Sagol School of Neuroscience. Her thesis, exploring inter-subject variability in connectivity of the human brain, was presented in the Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Global Connectome 2021 virtual event and is in the pre-publishing stages for the Journal of Neuroscience. Outside her academic work, Ronnie has has dedicated much of her life to science communication, and has worked as a teacher for many years and in many different settings. The study of learning experience and methods has been significant in shaping her academic aspiration and research topics.