NEUROEDUCATION: USING AN ACTIVE METHODOLOGY FOR TEACHING ABOUT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
Neuroeducation; Active methodology; Game; Neuromyths
Neuroeducation can be defined as a new scientific approach to learning and education that brings together cognitive sciences, neurosciences, and education to understand the scientific bases of learning and memory processes. This study created and evaluated the use of a game in digital and physical versions as an active methodology tool to teach the functioning of the nervous system for high school students. An existing questionnaire on neuroscience myths (neuromyths) was administered at the beginning and after the end of the game development stages to assess the students’ knowledge on the functioning of the nervous system. A card game (JgBrain) with investigative elements on the functioning of the nervous system was created based on questions the students asked in classes and on the use of the questionnaire on neuromyths. The effectiveness of the card game in improving learning was proven by the significantly increased number of correct answers (10.4 ± 4.13 before, 20.4 ± 4.78 after, p < 0.0001, Student’s t-test) in the questionnaire on neuromyths, which contains 32 statements about the functioning of the nervous system. The use of the game as a pedagogical tool to teach the functioning of the nervous system was effective, contributing to contextualized teaching and allowing the proactive and investigative participation of the student.