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 âComputational SpikerBoxâ, 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.
Public Health Relevance Statement: PROJECT NARRATIVE Backyard Brains is developing a curriculum around a Computational SpikerBox, an interactive computational model of a neuron that looks, sounds, and responds like a living neuron. The lesson plans will enable students to understand the mechanistic fundamentals of biological neurons by controlling the ion channels (blocking or adding more) and conducting experiments to learn through story-based lessons how anesthetics and venom affect neurons. By giving teachers and students access to advanced computational models of the physical neurons, we aim to inspire and help foment the next generation of scientists, engineers, and physicians.
Project Terms: Affect; Analgesic Agents; Analgesic Drugs; Analgesic Preparation; Anodynes; Antinociceptive Agents; Antinociceptive Drugs; pain killer; pain medication; pain reliever; painkiller; Analgesics; Anesthestic Drugs; Anesthetic Agents; Anesthetic Drugs; Anesthetics; Attitude; Bees; Behavior; Biology; Brain; Brain Nervous System; Encephalon; Brain Diseases; Brain Disorders; Encephalon Diseases; Intracranial CNS Disorders; Intracranial Central Nervous System Disorders; Cause of Death; Communities; Educational Curriculum; Curriculum; lesson plans; Dangerousness; Dedications; Disease; Disorder; Education; Educational aspects; Electrophysiology (science); Electrophysiology; Neurophysiology / Electrophysiology; electrophysiological; Engineering; Equipment; Experimental Designs; Goals; Ion Channel; Ionic Channels; Membrane Channels; Learning; Maps; United States National Institutes of Health; NIH; National Institutes of Health; nervous system disorder; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Disorders; Neurological Disorders; neurological disease; Neurons; Nerve Cells; Nerve Unit; Neural Cell; Neurocyte; neuronal; Neurosciences; Pain; Painful; Physicians; Pilot Projects; pilot study; Problem Solving; Research; Schools; Science; Computer software; Software; sound; Sting Injury; Sting; Students; Educational process of instructing; Teaching; Testing; Venoms; Work; Friends; Generations; computational neuroscience; sensor; improved; Left; Phase; biologic; Biological; Training; teacher; disability; insight; intuitive; Intuition; Stimulus; Workshop; Educational workshop; Measurement; Funding; tool; Knowledge; Scientist; Complex; Reaction; Sensory; System; interest; voltage; high school; physical model; Self Efficacy; fascinate; skills; empowerment; Devices; Modeling; Property; Drops; Institution; Data; Motor; Process; cost; digital; designing; design; next generation; innovate; innovative; innovation; presynaptic; user-friendly; mobile device; handheld mobile device; prototype; postsynaptic; effective treatment; effective therapy; STEM workforce; science, technology, engineering and math career; science, technology, engineering and math workforce; science, technology, engineering and mathematics career; science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce; STEM career; K-12 classroom; K-12 level; K12 classroom; K12 education; K12 level; K-12 Education; High School Teacher; Secondary School Faculty; Secondary Teacher; High School Faculty; Minority Enrollment; computational thinking; computational reasoning; curricular enrichment; curriculum expansion; curriculum enhancement; project-based curriculum; project-based learning; K12 student; K-12 student; predictive outcomes; predictors of outcomes; outcome prediction; experiment; experimental research; experiments; experimental study; neural network; Computerized Models; computational modeling; computational models; computer based models; computerized modeling; Computer Models; Visualizat
