Developing an Educational Neuroscience of Category Learning

Abstract

There is a disconnect between neuroscience research on concept learning and representation (focusing on categories of concrete objects), and concept learning challenges in science education (which concern systems of causal relationships among objects and events). Bridging this gap will both inform theories of science learning and expand our understanding about how the brain learns and represents knowledge. We examine both literatures, point to where they converge and diverge, and offer paths forward for collaboration between science educators and cognitive neuroscientists to the benefit of each. In cognitive neuroscience, we describe advances in neuroimaging analyses based on cognitive models that directly relate cognitive processes to neural activity. Adapting science education content to support these model-based analyses offers unique opportunities to answer open questions about the cognition behind successful science learning. Further, adapting educational materials for use in neuroimaging may create useful learning exercises that offer unique affordances complementing typical classroom activities.

Modo de pensar que subyace a los obstáculos epistemológicos de aprendizaje del tópico Síntesis de Proteínas en estudiantes universitarios de primer año

“…Estos modos heurísticos de pensar guían y organizan la toma de decisiones, conduciendo a errores que interfieren en la construcción de nuevos conocimientos científicos (GOLDWATER; HILTON; DAVIS, 2002;TALANQUER, 2014). Al ser operativos, rápidos y funcionales, estos modos de pensar generan obstáculos que seguirán presentes en los estudiantes hasta que se genere un conflicto cognitivo que los cuestione (GOLDWATER; HILTON;DAVIS, 2002).…”

Auditory category learning is robust across training regimes

“…One especially productive approach has been to utilize training paradigms to teach participants categories across novel or unfamiliar exemplars. In addition to advancing theoretical accounts of category learning and generalization, these literatures have informed real-world applications in second-language acquisition (Lim & Holt, 2011;Reetzke et al, 2018), science learning (Eglington & Kang, 2017;Goldwater et al, 2022;Nosofsky et al, 2018), social group recognition through faces and voices (Lavan, Burton, et al, 2019;Retter et al, 2020), stereotyping (Hugenberg & Sacco, 2008) and approaches to building effective educational materials (Carvalho & Goldstone, 2021;Nosofsky et al, 2019). Many studies of category learning have examined aspects of training that best support effective learning, informing both theory and application.…”