The Brain's Response to Digital Math Apps: A Pilot Study Examining Children's Cortical Responses during Touch-Screen Interactions

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an easy to use neuroimaging technique that is portable and maintains a liberal tolerance to movement. As such, fNIRS represents an ideal tool to observe children's neural activity as they engage in real-world classroom activities, such as the int...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe journal of computers in mathematics and science teaching Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 69 - 86
Main Authors Baker, Joseph M, Moyer-Packenham, Patricia S, Tucker, Stephen I, Shumway, Jessica F, Jordan, Kerry E, Gillam, Ronald B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education 01.01.2018
Subjects
Brain
Computer Oriented Programs
Computer Uses in Education
Grade 2
Handheld Devices
Manipulative Materials
Mathematics Activities
Mathematics Instruction
Neurosciences
Pilot Projects
Spectroscopy
Telecommunications
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Summary:Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an easy to use neuroimaging technique that is portable and maintains a liberal tolerance to movement. As such, fNIRS represents an ideal tool to observe children's neural activity as they engage in real-world classroom activities, such as the interaction with digital math apps on an iPad. Here, we provide the results of an initial hypothesis-generating pilot study designed to assess patterns of cortical activity that occur when children interact with digital math apps, that contained virtual manipulatives, on a touch-screen device. Our results highlight cortical activity within the bilateral intraparietal sulci and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices as children interacted with three different digital math apps, but not during rest. Our results provide valuable proof-of-concept that fNIRS may be used to assess math-related cortical activity during children's naturalistic use of digital math apps on a touch-screen device.
ISSN:0731-9258