New AI system studies brain to help teachers improve their lessons

Researchers are trying to help teachers understand better whether their teaching methods are working or not, by using artificial intelligence to measure brain activity and show how well the brain understood a concept.

Researchers from Dartmouth College have produced a machine learning algorithm that is able to measure the brain activity in order to determine how well a student understands a given concept by the teacher.

To develop the algorithm, the team started by having a rookie and intermediate engineering students take standard tests, along with answering questions about pictures while sitting in an fMRI scanner, detailed Engadget.

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Then, the team had the algorithm produce ‘neural scores’ that could predict a student’s performance. The more certain parts of the brain lit up, the easier it was to tell if a student grasped the concepts at play or not.

However, there are a few limitations to the research. For instance, the team focused on STEM learning, and it is not clear if the brain would react in the same way while learning different subjects such as art and science, wrote Ubergizmo.

Yet, this technique could help teachers refine their classes by recognizing the technique that resonate with most students before exam results come in, ensuring that they learn the concepts better.