Development of a model for measuring scientific processing skills based on brain-imaging technology: focused on the experimental design process

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a model for measuring experimental design ability based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during biological inquiry. More specifically, the researchers developed an experimental design task that measures experimental design ability. Using the developed experimental design task, they measured both the paper experimental design ability and the fMRI experimental design ability of subjects. Subjects’ paper experimental design ability was measured using the quotient equation of experimental design ability, and their fMRI experimental design ability using the brain connectivity coefficient. According to the fMRI results, differences in design ability existed among subjects in terms of brain connectivity coefficient level during the experimental design task. The experimental design ability brain connectivity coefficient level and quotient for each subject were analysed. Statistically significant correlations between subjects’ connectivity strength level among brain activation regions and quotient value guided the establishment of a measuring model. The model measured experimental design ability and could predict an individual’s experimental design ability quotient using his or her brain connectivity coefficient. Hence, the model developed for this study for measuring experimental design ability based on fMRI may serve as a practical measurement of students’ scientific experimental design ability. Furthermore, this study could serve as a founding theory for measuring models of other scientific processing abilities such as observation, question generation, classification, hypothesis generation and hypothesis evaluation.