Articles tagged with Learning
A study led by Waseda University's Associate Professor Chie Nakamura investigated how listeners interpret structurally ambiguous sentences using eye-tracking technology. The researchers found that listeners actively build sentence structure in real-time, predicting how the sentence will continue before all information is available.
Researchers assessed whether people can distinguish between AI-generated and human speech, discovering that short training minimally improves this ability. However, neural responses became more distinct for human versus AI speech, suggesting training can help in the future.
A new study found that nearly 25% of UK teachers received no training on supporting neurodivergent pupils, with most reporting brief and limited sessions. The researchers highlight a mismatch between the complexity of pupils' needs and the training teachers are currently receiving.
A team of MIT engineers identified tacit knowledge in volunteers who classified images, shifting focus to easier-to-classify areas without awareness. Bringing this concealed knowledge to the surface enhances experts' performance, suggesting a method for boosting learning experience in disciplines requiring keen observation skills.
A study from the University of East Anglia found that Covid lockdowns disrupted children's ability to self-regulate, leading to slower growth in executive functions. Reception-age children, who normally learn to socialize and navigate classroom routines, showed significant setbacks in cognitive flexibility and self-regulation skills.
A new study from Nagoya University and Gifu University found that multisensory museum experiences can engage visitors with culturally significant heritage. By incorporating sensory elements like smell and touch, visitors can form personal connections to the artifacts, leading to deeper engagement and conservation efforts.
A new study finds that influencer culture affects girls' self-perception, with many recognizing the inauthenticity of online content yet still feeling pressured to conform. Researchers suggest that shifting attention away from individual girls and onto the culture that profits from their insecurity is key to change.
Research shows that expert birders have more compact attention- and perception-related brain areas, linked to accurate bird identification. These structural changes persist in older birders and may benefit cognition as people age.
A new theory asserts that associative learning depends less on repetition and more on time passing between rewards, explaining why students who cram don't perform well. The study's findings could shift the way we look at learning and addiction, potentially speeding up artificial intelligence by borrowing from this new approach.
A recent study at the University of Helsinki found that short periods of REM sleep impair horses' perseverance and performance in demanding learning tasks. Horses with longer REM sleep duration performed better in a reverse learning test, suggesting that REM sleep is associated with motivation and perseverance.
Scientists have identified specific patterns of brain chemical activity in honey bees that predict how quickly individual bees learn new associations. The findings may help explain why humans learn at different speeds and provide implications for understanding brain disorders.
A team of researchers from The University of Osaka compared the way humans and machines think about words, finding some strong correlations but also significant discrepancies. Human ratings varied widely across words like prepositions and conjunctions, while LLMs tended to assign consistently low ratings.
Researchers used AI to analyze brain activity of 130 two-month-old infants, discovering that they can categorize objects in their brains at just two months old. This challenges earlier thought and highlights the richness of brain function in the first year of life.
Research reveals that Sulf1 is essential for both reward-dependent and aversion learning, highlighting its critical role in adult brain function. The enzyme acts through distinct dopamine D1 and D2 receptor pathways, underscoring its importance in neural circuits involved in learning.
A review of over 1,000 studies found that technology communication reduces engagement and positive emotional responses compared to in-person interactions. In-person communication has been shown to have health benefits, including reduced anxiety and improved educational outcomes.
Research highlights the moderating role of collective innovativeness in teacher collaboration, showing its significant impact on cognitively activating teaching practices. Schools with high innovativeness levels experience stronger positive effects from collaboration.
Researchers found individuals with stronger cue sensitivity tend to have harder time updating beliefs, leading to persistent poor decision-making. This association can lead to biased avoidance or favoritism of cues in people with compulsive disorders, addictions, or anxiety.
Dr. Julio J. Ramirez has been awarded the 2025 Innovative Leadership Award by AIBS for his exceptional leadership in mentoring and promoting inclusive science environments. Over his career, he has received numerous awards and mentored over 150 students, including a Presidential Award from President Obama.
Researchers at Tohoku University demonstrated that taste sensitivity can be enhanced through learning in a novel 'sweet taste recall training.' After just three days of training, participants showed significant improvement in taste sensitivity for all five sweet substances, indicating a sharper perception of sweetness. This finding pro...
Scientists at Salk Institute find protein CCN1, secreted by astrocytes, maintains stable neural circuits in adult brains. The discovery could lead to new therapeutics for brain injury and stroke.
A new study found that brief, light-intensity exercise significantly improves inhibitory control and mood in children, with potential to enhance learning efficiency. The research, conducted at Waseda University, also revealed that even short periods of physical activity can have a lasting impact on cognitive function.
A University of Kansas scholar argues that decades of reform efforts have not improved education, instead trying to fix past problems. The new book proposes a focus on personalized learning and AI to customize education for each individual.
Researchers identified a molecular mechanism linking early-life environments with memory by activating AP-1, which regulates genes involved in neuronal plasticity and learning. Early-life experiences produce long-lasting modulation of AP-1 activity, boosting gene networks that strengthen neuronal connections.
A study suggests personalized algorithms can lead to inaccurate generalizations, even when users know nothing about a topic. Researchers found that algorithmic personalization can bias learning and cause overconfidence in incorrect answers.
Researchers from UC San Francisco have identified the superior temporal gyrus brain region responsible for tracking words in a foreign language. The study shows that this region learns to recognize word boundaries through years of experience, enabling fluent speakers to distinguish individual words.
Therapeutic education is becoming a dominant force in UK primary schools, prioritizing emotional literacy and empathy over traditional moral values. While this approach can build empathy and community, it also risks individualising children's moral development and placing responsibility on the child.
A Dartmouth study finds that AI-powered chatbots can deliver personalized learning to large numbers of students. The researchers created an AI teaching assistant called NeuroBot TA that provides around-the-clock individualized support for students, which they found to be more trusted than general chatbots.
This study confirms the role of negative reinforcement in chronic opioid use, contributing to addiction development. The findings suggest that this mechanism is present even after regular opioid use, highlighting potential for more effective prevention and treatment strategies.
A new study found that the arrival of boll weevils in the US South in the early 20th century led to improved economic outcomes for Black sons born after the agricultural shock. The researchers examined changes in earnings, occupations, and residences for Black males before and after the boll weevil's appearance.
Researchers found that zebra finches categorize calls into about a dozen call-types, similar to how humans hear and group them. The birds' ability to distinguish between calls with similar meaning suggests they have a mental representation of the meaning behind these vocalizations.
Researchers have discovered a key role for the Frazzled protein in fruit fly neural circuits, revealing how it helps neurons form reliable connections. The study showed that when Frazzled is missing or mutated, neurons fail to form proper electrical connections, leading to communication breakdowns.
Researchers found that the brain's logical reasoning network was active before learning to code, and continued to engage strongly after acquiring Python skills. This suggests that humans can repurpose cognitive areas involved in reasoning to learn computer programming.
The journal aims to address disparities and inequities in healthcare through research on bias, gender, ethnicity, and intersectionality in medical curricula. Submissions are encouraged to explore strategies for enhancing professional competence, teaching bias awareness, and promoting diversity and inclusion.
The UK's special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is facing a worsening crisis, with schools lacking skills and resources to support children. Experts warn that without action, the crisis will deepen, harming the economy and NHS, and perpetuating inequalities.
The University of Phoenix College of Social and Behavioral Sciences has published a white paper on trauma-informed education, outlining strategies to support students' well-being and faculty's mental health. The paper aims to improve learning outcomes, retention, and overall student success among working adult learners.
A new national study highlights the potential of extended reality (XR) in healthcare training, offering experiences that might otherwise be missed. However, poorly designed programs can overwhelm students, while trained faculty, technical support, and sustainable funding are essential for successful implementation.
A new study published in JNeurosci used fMRI to investigate how the brain acquires semantic information. The results suggest that the quality of activity in distinct brain regions can predict whether people successfully acquire knowledge about places and characters in fictional civilizations.
A team of researchers from Yokohama National University has developed a novel compact superconductive neuron device that operates at high speeds with ultra-low power consumption. The device eliminates variation in elemental circuit characteristics, achieving ideal input-output characteristics and resolving the vanishing gradient problem.
Researchers have discovered that deep sleep plays a crucial role in controlling cerebrospinal fluid dynamics, which is essential for clearing waste from the brain. During slow-wave sleep, changes in cerebrospinal fluid signals are time-locked to slow brain waves and other neural events.
Researchers found that students from low-income households, specifically boys, were the most affected by class closures, highlighting growing educational inequality. Smaller class sizes and experienced teachers can reduce adverse effects on disadvantaged students.
Researchers found that teens who view their age group positively are more likely to take on family responsibilities and prioritize schoolwork. This positive outlook is linked to improved academic functioning, motivation, and attachment with parents.
A recent Finnish study found that students' self-efficacy in mathematics is a key factor contributing to their motivation and performance. High self-efficacy predicted better performance, regardless of prior achievement level. In contrast, co-teaching showed no significant benefits on mathematics performance.
A University of Cambridge study reveals that poorer students in England are disproportionately concentrated in schools where learning a foreign language is optional at GCSE. The research shows that offering a wider choice of languages can improve average GCSE scores by nearly a quarter of a grade.
A new study by Florida Atlantic University researchers found that heat does not significantly affect the cognitive ability of sea turtle hatchlings. However, higher incubation temperatures negatively impact their physical traits, including shorter incubation durations, lower hatching success, and more frequent scute anomalies. The stud...
Researchers discovered a precise coordination between two proteins, BDNF and MMP-9, to strengthen specific brain connections. This mechanism is essential for learning, memory, and overall brain health.
A study by Mireka Caselius found that children who moved abroad as kids develop unique skills such as social adaptability and tolerance for stress, making them highly sought-after employees in the global job market. These young adults often pursue careers with an international dimension, reflecting their adaptable nature.
The University of Houston has received a $1 million grant to study teacher certification pathways and their impact on student outcomes in Texas. The project aims to provide new statewide data, research, and policy analysis to reduce the number of uncertified teachers in Texas classrooms.
A groundbreaking study challenges conventional wisdom on NIL policies in college football, demonstrating they enhance competitive balance and broaden opportunities for athletes. The research shows that NIL has led to a wider distribution of talent across college programs, directly benefiting athletes seeking to maximize their brands an...
A new paper highlights the importance of human historians in capturing emotional complexity behind world events as AI struggles to accurately represent Holocaust survivors' experiences. Historians possess skills that AI lacks, including the ability to capture human suffering and preserve fracture and silence.
A new study found that US school closures imposed significant economic losses while other measures like mask mandates and testing proved more effective at controlling the virus. The research suggests rapid deployment of these interventions could have saved over 100,000 lives and cut total US impact from £3.7 trillion to £1.5 trillion.
A study by Waseda University researchers found that cultural cognitive biases impact the explicit aspects of visuomotor adaptations, influencing motor learning outcomes. The findings suggest that verbal reports used in rehabilitation and sports training may be misinterpreted due to cultural prejudices.
Researchers developed a new tool to measure language learning strategies of Japanese university STEM students. The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning-STEM (SILL-JP/STEM) assesses six categories of learning strategies, revealing insights into students' behaviors, including underutilized affective strategies.
A new study found that children's personality traits such as conscientiousness and open-mindedness have a significant impact on their academic performance. The research, conducted across seven countries, showed that these traits can help reduce educational inequality and improve social mobility.
The project aims to develop personalized technologies that promote lifelong learning in various educational settings. It will guide the creation of IR systems that can effectively support users with complex information needs and foster information literacy.
The Lehigh K-12 Computer Science STEELS Toolkit provides flexible, free enrichment activities for elementary and secondary classrooms. The toolkit aligns with Pennsylvania's STEELS framework and aims to foster integrated literacy in science, technology, engineering, and sustainability.
A new study combines eye tracking and artificial intelligence to identify key moments in educational videos that matter for learning. The research provides promise for individualized video education, where AI dynamically adjusts the content for a student's understanding.
Researchers found that older adults who challenge themselves to learn new things are less likely to experience loneliness or depression, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Continued skill learning is associated with improved mental health outcomes, including greater resilience to external stressors and reduced depressive symptoms.
A study by Ohio State University found that first graders who use more educational media spend more time reading and less screen time overall. Educational video, app, and game use was associated with increased reading time, while entertainment content crowded out reading.
A new study by Waseda University researchers suggests that learners need to automatize word meanings in context to achieve fluent speech. By assessing automatized vocabulary knowledge (AVK) and declarative vocabulary knowledge (DVK), the team found AVK to be a stronger predictor of L2 speaking fluency.
Early life exposure to perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) may increase anxiety-related behaviors and memory deficits in male mice. Researchers found that males exposed to higher doses of PFHxA showed mild developmental changes, including decreased activity levels and increased anxiety-like behaviors.