Abstract
Human teaching is a social interaction that supports reciprocal and dynamical feedback between the teacher and the student. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a region of particular interest due to its demonstrated role in social interaction. In the present study, we evaluated the PFC activity simultaneously in two individuals playing the role of a teacher and student in a video game teaching–learning task. For that, we used two wearable near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) devices in order to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive interactions between teachers and students. Fifteen teacher–student pairs in total (N = 30) participated in this study. Each teacher was instructed to teach the video game to their student partner, without speaking. The PFC activity was simultaneously evaluated in both participants using a wearable 16-channel NIRS system during the video game teaching–learning task. Two sessions, each including a triplet of a 30-s teaching–learning task, were performed in order to evaluate changes in PFC activity after advancement of teaching–learning state. Changes in the teachers’ left PFC activity between the first and second session positively correlated with those observed in students (r = 0.694, p = 0.004). Moreover, among teachers, multiple regression analysis revealed a correlation between the left PFC activity and the assessment gap between one’s own teaching and the student’s understanding (β = 0.649, p = 0.009). Activity in the left PFC changed synchronously in both teachers and students after advancement of the teaching–learning state. The left PFC of teachers may be involved in integrating information regarding one’s own teaching process and the student’s learning state. The present observations indicate that simultaneous recording and analysis of brain activity data during teacher–student interactions may be useful in the field of educational neuroscience.
Highlights
Teaching is a type of human cognitive interaction during which the active communication between teacher and student results in the transmission of information or knowledge (Strauss et al, 2014)
We investigated the neural mechanisms underlying teacher-student interactions by utilizing a video game task in order to minimize the involvement of rhythmic brain activity due to processes such as body movement synchronization
Since video games can be taught via interaction with the character on the game screen, we excluded speaking in our teaching–learning game task in order to minimize the influence of brain areas associated with linguistic communication (Jiang et al, 2012, 2015)
Summary
Teaching is a type of human cognitive interaction during which the active communication between teacher and student results in the transmission of information or knowledge (Strauss et al, 2014). PFC Activity in Teaching–Learning Task of knowledge, teacher–student relationships have the power to significantly influence the student’s behavior. In order to elucidate the neural mechanism underlying teacher–student interactions, a neuroimaging method that allows simultaneous investigation in both teacher and student is required (Scholkmann et al, 2013; Liu and Pelowski, 2014). We investigated the neural mechanisms underlying teacher-student interactions by utilizing a video game task in order to minimize the involvement of rhythmic brain activity due to processes such as body movement synchronization. Since video games can be taught via interaction with the character on the game screen, we excluded speaking in our teaching–learning game task in order to minimize the influence of brain areas associated with linguistic communication (Jiang et al, 2012, 2015)
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