A biologically-inspired, interactive digital device to introduce K12 students to computational neuroscience

一种受生物学启发的交互式数字设备，可向 K12 学生介绍计算神经科学

• 批准号: 10706026
• 负责人: Gregory John Gage
• 金额: $ 32.46万
• 依托单位: BACKYARD BRAINS, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-06-01 至 2024-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10706026
• 关键词: Affect; Analgesics; Anesthetics; Attitude; Bees; Behavior; Biological; Biology; Brain; Brain Diseases; Cause of Death; Communities; Complex; Computer Models; Computer software; Dangerousness; Data; Dedications; Devices; Disease; Drops; Education; Educational Curriculum; Educational process of instructing; Educational workshop; Electrophysiology (science); Engineering; Equipment; Experimental Designs; Friends; Funding; Generations; Goals; High School Faculty; Institution; Intuition; Ion Channel; K-12 Education; K-12 student; Knowledge; Learning; Left; Maps; Measurement; Minority Enrollment; Modeling; Motor; Neurons; Neurosciences; Pain; Phase; Physicians; Pilot Projects; Problem Solving; Process; Property; Reaction; Research; STEM career; Schools; Science; Scientist; Self Efficacy; Sensory; Stimulus; Sting Injury; Students; System; Testing; Training; United States National Institutes of Health; Venoms; Visualization; Work; computational neuroscience; computational reasoning; cost; curriculum enhancement; design; digital; disability; effective therapy; empowerment; experimental study; fascinate; handheld mobile device; high school; improved; innovation; insight; interest; nervous system disorder; neural network; next generation; outcome prediction; physical model; postsynaptic; presynaptic; project-based learning; prototype; sensor; skills; sound; teacher; tool; user-friendly; voltage

PROJECT SUMMARY Understanding the brain is a profound and fascinating challenge, captivating the scientific community and the public alike. The lack of effective treatment for most brain disorders makes the training of the next generation of neuroscientists, engineers, and physicians a key concern. However, much of neuroscience is perceived to be too difficult to be taught in school. Having already introduced student-friendly, NIH-funded electrophysiological tools for project-based learning into K12 education, Backyard Brains is now aiming to broaden the impact by developing “Computational SpikerBox”, a counterpart to our electrophysiological SpikerBox. This embedded digital device with adjustable parameters will sound via a speaker, see via a mobile device display, and react via sensors. By modulating ion channels and changing ionic conductances in this model, students will gain insight into how neurons are affected by analgesics and various venoms. High school teachers and students evaluated our prototype devices in a workshop and stated that it did help them to develop intuition about biological neurons through the computational model. In Phase I, we will refine and ruggedize our Computational SpikerBox for the classroom and build out the partnering application. The proposed device will allow for experiments that had previously been impossible in the classroom, including but not limited to observing subthreshold neuron activity or pre- and post-synaptic voltages. To alleviate the learning process and make it fun and intuitive, the app will have an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to construct modeling of neuron behavior via closing or opening of ion channels within the stimulus parameters, mapping the voltage values to the ionic currents, visualizing their result of ion channel modulation and predict outcomes in a diseased neuron based on the correct sequence of constructing the neuronal activity. Our aims to enhance the hardware and software will be accompanied by developing an innovative NGSS-aligned lesson plan based on the Computational SpikerBox in a Neuroscience classroom in Detroit, MI. The implementation of this lesson plan will be assessed by Rockman et al Cooperative, who will evaluate student content knowledge, attitudes and interest in Science, and Self-Efficacy as a scientist. Our overall Phase I goal is to empower students to understand the fundamentals of the biological properties of neurons, all within the NGSS framework. In Phase II, we plan to expand the curriculum and the capabilities of our Computational SpikerBox, extending the focus from a single neuron behavior to connections between a small number of neurons and how it relates to higher-level computational modeling of the brain. Our long-term aim is for K12 students to develop a practical understanding of key neural network concepts and engage in computational thinking (CT), a way of solving problems, designing systems, and understanding the world by breaking complex problems down into smaller components.

项目概要 了解大脑是一项深刻而迷人的挑战，吸引了科学界和科学界 大多数脑部疾病缺乏有效的治疗方法，这使得下一代的培训受到影响。 然而，许多神经科学被认为是神经科学家、工程师和医生关注的一个关键问题。 已经推出了由 NIH 资助的学生友好型课程，在学校中教授起来太困难了。 Backyard Brains 现在的目标是将基于项目的学习引入 K12 教育的电生理工具 扩大“Computational SpikerBox”开发的影响力，它是我们的电生理学的对应物 SpikerBox 这种具有可调参数的嵌入式数字设备将通过扬声器发出声音，通过手机查看。 设备显示，并通过传感器做出反应。 通过模型，学生将深入了解镇痛药和各种毒液如何影响神经元。 老师和学生在研讨会上评估了我们的原型设备，并表示它确实帮助他们 通过计算模型培养对生物神经元的直觉。在第一阶段，我们将完善和改进。 为课堂强化我们的计算 SpikerBox 并构建合作应用程序。 拟议的设备将允许进行以前在课堂上不可能进行的实验，包括但 不限于观察阈下神经元活动或突触前和突触后电压。 学习过程并使其变得有趣和直观，该应用程序将有一个直观的拖放界面 通过在刺激参数内关闭或打开离子通道构建神经行为模型， 将电压值映射到离子电流，可视化离子通道调制的结果并进行预测 基于构建神经元活动的正确顺序，在患病神经元中产生结果。 为了增强硬件和软件，我们将开发符合 NGSS 的创新课程 基于密歇根州底特律神经科学教室中的 Computational SpikerBox 的计划的实施。 该课程计划将由 Rockman 等人合作社进行评估，他们将评估学生的内容知识， 对科学的态度和兴趣，以及作为科学家的自我效能感 我们第一阶段的总体目标是赋予权力。 学生了解神经元生物学特性的基础知识，所有这些都在 NGSS 内 在第二阶段，我们计划扩展计算 SpikerBox 的课程和功能， 将焦点从单个神经元行为扩展到少数神经元之间的连接 它与更高级别的大脑计算模型有何关系 我们的长期目标是让 K12 学生能够 培养对关键神经网络概念的实际理解并参与计算思维（CT）， 一种通过解决复杂问题来解决问题、设计系统和理解世界的方法 分解成更小的组件。