Centre for Educational Neuroscience Workshop Friday March 6th educationalneuroscience.uk

1. Centre for Educational Neuroscience Workshop Friday March 6th www.educationalneuroscience.org.uk

3. Language DevelopmentJulie Dockrell, Jackie Masterson, Matthew Saxton (IOE)Michael Thomas (Birkbeck)Chris Donlan (UCL)

4. Strategic Objectives (1) To provide a better understanding of the ways in which the brain processes language throughout development, especially for those learners with specific language difficulties.

5. Strategic Objectives (2) To identify (early) differences in processing of language in order to trigger intervention.

6. Strategic Objectives (3) To identify the ways in which children naturally can overcome language-processing obstacles, and to evaluate the extent to which these changes result from compensation in brain activity

7. Strategic Objectives (4) To assess whether oral and written language difficulties form distinct clusters of cognitive deficits or are best understood as a reflecting a unitary continuum of cognitive difficulty

8. Strategic Objectives (5) To use these findings to create interventions for language deficits, and to evaluate their impact not only on attainment, but on brain function.

9. General Impact Classroom practice: Developing teachers� understanding of language learning processes and atypical developmental trajectories, so as to enhance the design of learning environments. Teacher involvement in research : Collaborative development of language-specific educationally-relevant research agenda and evaluation of outcomes

10. Mathematical Development Prevalence of low numeracy (year 7 level at end of primary school) is about 6% Mathematical development is very important in the life of individuals Low numeracy = poor employment prospects Low numeracy = Lifetime loss of �110,000 in earnings Low numeracy = greater likelihood of mental and physical illness Low numeracy = more truancy, more exclusion from school Low numeracy = greater likelihood of imprisonment Mathematical development is very important for the nation Cost of lost taxes, additional educational support, social problems �2.4 billion per year

11. What we think we know Neuroscience Brain network for simple number processing and arithmetic Numerical abilities and disabilities are partially heritable Cognitive development Broad stages But individual variation Education Numeracy strategy hasn�t made much difference to lowest attainers

12. Questions What are the causes of low numeracy? Environmental, neurological, educational, cognitive, genetic? How do these factors interact? When does it start to go wrong? How can we assess for the causes in each child? How can we design programmes to help each individual with low numeracy?

13. Conceptual Development Centre For Educational Neuroscience Workshop, March 6th, 2009

14. What are concept? Use simple definition from Murphy (2002): Categories are structures in the world Concepts are the mental representations of structures in the world Concepts organise our experiences and underlie generalisation

15. Different Types of Concepts 1. Organisational Concepts Taxonomies Ad hoc concepts Script-based concept Culturally specific (e.g., Medin) Evident from at least 2-years-old

16. Different Types of Concepts 2.Theory based concepts Theory-theory (Keil, Medin, Carey) Causal Beliefs (Gopnik) Biological Theory Physical Theories Present from 3-years-old

17. Conceptual Development Vast literature Bruner, Vygotsky, Piaget - stages of conceptual development Mandler - emerging taxonomic concepts Keil, Carey - emergence of Biological theories Vosniadou - world models

18. The Neuroscience of Concepts Ashby - Multiple category learning systems Some imaging evidence of complex concept acquisition (e.g., relational concepts, scientific reasoning; Bunge, 2005) Almost no developmental work

19. Computational Approaches Every approach has tried its hand Connectionist models of oranisational concepts (taxonomic concepts) Connectionist models of Theory Theory concepts (Rogers & McClelland, 2001) Bayes net models causal reasoning Bayesian account of domain structure learning(Tennebaum, 2008)

20. Potential Aims To seek a neural computational account of learning in complex conceptual domains typical of science education To identify the emerging functional neural systems that underlie children�s causal and taxonomic conceptual reasoning To trace how the emerging neural conceptual learning systems impact on the delivery of new concepts in the classroom

21. Possible Example Questions Science Education a) what are the characteristics of informally-derived concepts at a neural or organisational level that render them more robust than those acquired formally or symbolically via instruction alone? b) what are the additional effects of dialogue around concrete activities that lead to greater and more robust conceptual change than experience alone? c) what are the processes of change that underlie the generalisation and extension of concepts to novel materials?

22. Computational modelling Dr. Michael Thomas Birkbeck College Illustrative example of pilot work, indicating need for integration between fieldsIllustrative example of pilot work, indicating need for integration between fields

23. Computational modelling Illustrative problem from language development 40-60% of pre-schoolers identified for language delay will resolve language difficulties by school entry Why do some language delays resolve? Target intervention to children with most persistent delays How can these children be identified early on? What factors influence how delay resolves? Early diagnosed language delay sometimes resolves. Why? Identifying sub-types is important to target intervention.Early diagnosed language delay sometimes resolves. Why? Identifying sub-types is important to target intervention.

24. Language development We know there are both environmental contributions and brain-based contributions to individual variability (as well as interactions) E.g., differences in background ability, plus effect of education, teaching environment, + home environment on language development Produce influences on language development viewed from psychological perspective How in detail do these influences interact?We know there are both environmental contributions and brain-based contributions to individual variability (as well as interactions) E.g., differences in background ability, plus effect of education, teaching environment, + home environment on language development Produce influences on language development viewed from psychological perspective How in detail do these influences interact?

25. Development of inflectional morphology Implemented models of learning allow us to explore interactions Artificial neural network model � embodying learning principles from neuroscience Addressed to a particular domain of language development that often shows impairments in language delay � inflectional morphology Simulate influences of differences in environmental quality (e.g., SES) + differences in background ability. Latter arise from multiple genetic causes, result in differences in neurocomputational parameters Note, education means we want to maximise the environmental influences on achievement given background abilityImplemented models of learning allow us to explore interactions Artificial neural network model � embodying learning principles from neuroscience Addressed to a particular domain of language development that often shows impairments in language delay � inflectional morphology Simulate influences of differences in environmental quality (e.g., SES) + differences in background ability. Latter arise from multiple genetic causes, result in differences in neurocomputational parameters Note, education means we want to maximise the environmental influences on achievement given background ability

26. Simulate language development in a population of children, with genetic and environment influences operating Early development, how many simulated children show language delay? (i.e., how well you do on a test of past tense) Frequency distribution of performance. Define mean, define standard deviation, more than 1 standard deviation below mean = delay Population distribution changes over development � general improvement Across development, again use mean and standard deviation to measure number showing delay at each time point Simulate language development in a population of children, with genetic and environment influences operating Early development, how many simulated children show language delay? (i.e., how well you do on a test of past tense) Frequency distribution of performance. Define mean, define standard deviation, more than 1 standard deviation below mean = delay Population distribution changes over development � general improvement Across development, again use mean and standard deviation to measure number showing delay at each time point

27. Proportion of simulated children showing delay decreases � just like in the empirical dataProportion of simulated children showing delay decreases � just like in the empirical data

28. Because this is a model, we can investigate � e.g., follow individual trajectories of language development Turns out we find FOUR groups Normal (shows some variation)Because this is a model, we can investigate � e.g., follow individual trajectories of language development Turns out we find FOUR groups Normal (shows some variation)

29. Persisting deficit (variation within this group too)Persisting deficit (variation within this group too)

30. Early diagnosed delay resolves � but individuals never that good; at the bottom of the normal rangeEarly diagnosed delay resolves � but individuals never that good; at the bottom of the normal range

31. Early diagnosed delay but later high performanceEarly diagnosed delay but later high performance

32. Mechanisms for delay What mechanistic differences discriminate between the groups? What is the difference between the four groups � modelling allows us to investigate mechanisms Persistent deficit is problem in computational power � environment not important Resolving delay is problem in plasticity � but environment is now important for eventual outcomeWhat is the difference between the four groups � modelling allows us to investigate mechanisms Persistent deficit is problem in computational power � environment not important Resolving delay is problem in plasticity � but environment is now important for eventual outcome

33. Extending this work Predict tests at Time 1 to discriminate later delay types Test interventions Tailored to different delay types To optimise progression of children of different abilities Implemented models are powerful tools Combine principles of neuroscience with domains of education Project seeks to predict early behaviours that can distinguish between different types of delay, and to come up with interventions to alleviate each type Designing and testing interventions requires interaction with other disciplines � educationalists, speech and language therapists Different interventions for different delays � or even to optimise performance of typically developing children of different ability levels (e.g., resolving delay requires more practise, persisting delay requires help in simplifying the learning problem) Models link the disciplines and provide a powerful tool This work cannot be done within a single discipline.Project seeks to predict early behaviours that can distinguish between different types of delay, and to come up with interventions to alleviate each type Designing and testing interventions requires interaction with other disciplines � educationalists, speech and language therapists Different interventions for different delays � or even to optimise performance of typically developing children of different ability levels (e.g., resolving delay requires more practise, persisting delay requires help in simplifying the learning problem) Models link the disciplines and provide a powerful tool This work cannot be done within a single discipline.

34. Effects of distraction and load on performance in educational settings Nilli Lavie and Sophie Forster

35. Project plan Use our new behavioural measure of entirely irrelevant distraction (Forster & Lavie, 2007; 2008) under varied levels of attentional load 1) Assess correlation with childhood ADHD For children: establish a clear relationship between childhood ADHD and distraction during task performance For adults: ask whether childhood ADHD can predict behavioural distraction in adulthood (pilot data promising!) 2) Can our distraction measure predict educational performance at school and in further education (promising pilot data with respect to Univ. grades) 3) Ask whether perceptual visual load reduces irrelevant distraction for school children (we know it does for adults) assess whether any load modulation of distraction can extend to ADHD (in children and adults)

36. 4) Longer term aim (though also feasible now): If load modulates distraction for school children including those with ADHD design homework material with higher visual load and assess the effects on distraction and educational performance (reading comprehension, math sums)

37. Why: Our new measure Use our new behavioural measure of entirely irrelevant distraction (Forster & Lavie, 2007; 2008) under varied levels of attentional load

38. Why: Aim 1 Aim 1) Assess correlation with childhood ADHD For children: establish a clear relationship of childhood ADHD and distraction during task performance Previous ADHD research assessed distraction through response competition and �Stroop-like� effects: results are mixed, and the distractors are task-relevant (clearer results found for irrelevant distraction in daily life settings e.g. in the zoo). For adults: ask whether childhood ADHD can predict behavioural distraction in adulthood this clarifies better the extent of ADHD recovery

39. Why: Aim 2 Aim 2) Can our distraction measure predict educational performance at school and in further education (promising pilot data with respect to Univ. grades) Relate distractibility to educational performance Scientifically- important for the understanding of the relationship of attention and education, Education- once a critical determinant of learning and education is identified (i.e. level of distraction) this has implications for improving educational settings (e.g. minimising distraction)

40. Why: Aim 3 Aim 3) Ask whether perceptual visual load reduces irrelevant distraction for school children assess whether any load modulation of irrelevant distraction can extend to ADHD (in children and adults) Scientifically important for understanding attention effects on *irrelevant* distraction inc. in ADHD Education implications: identifying visual load as a factor that can improve educational task performance (by minimising distraction) including for children with ADHD

41. Why: Aim 4 (longer term or now�) Aim 4) If load modulates irrelevant distraction for school children including those with ADHD- design homework material with higher visual load and assess the effects on distraction and educational performance (reading comprehension, math sums) Improve learning/education

42. resources 3 years project grant with one postdoc for aims 1-3 Research council: ESRC

43. Social Development Catherine Jones

45. 1. Early-years measures

46. Behavioural Looking preference: Eye tracking Joint attention Observational assessments

47. EEG Eye gaze Face processing Biological motion Joint attention

48. Early-years measures Associations between behavioural and imaging assessments Predicting later social functioning Measuring a developmental trajectory

49. 2. Neuroimaging of key social cognitive processes

50. Mental state understanding �Mental state� animations False belief stories Communicative intent e.g. irony

51. Neuroimaging of key social cognitive processes Associations between neural structure or functional activation with measures of social functioning (e.g. self/other ratings of social behaviour) Individual differences in developmental trajectory of structural or functional neural maturation. What are the implications?

52. 3. Linking academic achievement to social cognition and behaviour

53. Reading comprehension in ASD

54. Emotional Development Overall aims: 1) To understand how emotion and cognition interact to produce a better learning environment. 2) To understand how emotion, emotion regulation, & awareness of emotion develops over childhood/adolescence.

55. 1) Emotion and Learning Basic research: Emotion effects on e.g. memory, attention, in typically and atypically developing children. Applied Research: How emotion affects learning environment, how emotional state can be monitored & communicated to teacher.

56. 2) Emotional Development Emotion experience, its regulation, and emotional awareness can be measured using neuroimaging. Neural areas are developing across childhood / adolescence. Track development across diff popns. Tailor �emotional literacy� programs to stage of emotional development.