Fostering Computational Thinking Through Neural Engineering Activities in High School Biology Classes Project

Computational Thinking (CT) is foundational for all STEM fields but taught in few school-based STEM courses. CT encompasses several mental processes such as abstraction, pattern recognition, data analysis, problem decomposition, and modeling. The aim of this National Science Foundation (NSF) supported project is to develop and test a month-long unit about neural engineering using a brain-computer interface in high school biology classes to improve students’ CT skills. The goal of the research arm, which we are leading, is to see how students’ CT skills and attitudes towards STEM change over the course of their participation in this unit and how teachers’ sense of self-efficacy with fostering CT changes over participation in this project. We are also leading an internal evaluation on the design and implementation of the unit, and how well the project attended to issues of equity in STEM access and implementation.

Partner / Institution affiliation

Dr. Ido Davidesco (UConn) & Dr. Aaron Kyle (Columbia University)

Funding source

National Science Foundation