As the utility of neuro-studies in real life learning environments becomes clear, more out-of-lab approaches to this analysis are being developed. But, the essential components of the scientific process must be assiduously followed to advance these studies beyond data mining. Hypotheses framed around LMS (SCORM) course events with disciplined expectations and testable inferences are required from the start.
The Neuro-Designer software is intended to provide a workflow for producing experimental design alongside the develpment of report protocols and metric evaluation methods. The profound potential this process offers to the learning community can hardly be overstated; the variance of expectations to actual results (as they pertain to attentional and emotional states, when/whether memory is being encoded and/or retrieved, and the synchrony of brainwave data across multiple subjects given common stimuli) offers new and powerful insights into how effective and efficient a learning object is in delivering its intended results to an audience of learners.
The goal is to supply instructional designers with the tools to examine the efficacy of their courses in light of brain science, and gain insight into how course material and learning objects can be tailored to enhance a learner's response to attention, emotion and memory cues, as well as synchronous behavior among a class of students. The renowned neuroscientisi, Dr. Moran Cerf of Northwestern University, has provided essential guidance in the development and utilization of these these neuro metrics and in in utilization of these neuro metrics and in understanding the underlying psychological issues.
The elements and architecture of the Neuro-Designer will be discussed, as well as precursor studies that served to motivate the application.