Possibility of Research in Educational Neuroscience by Measurement of Brain Activity Using Near Infra-red Spectroscopy

Abstract

要 旨 近赤外分光法 （NIRS；Near infra-red spectroscopy） による光計測装置は，計測時における被験者のより自然な活動を 保証する脳活動計測システムである．この装置の開発により，医学，工学，認知科学などの研究分野のみならず，教 育学においても神経科学的なアプローチをとることが可能となってきた．教育学研究の分野において脳活動計測実験 を構築するにあたっては，教室空間での学びの特徴を含んだ実験条件を設定することが重要となる．たとえば，教師 と学習者の関係は，その典型的な特徴の一つである． 本研究では，近赤外分光法による光計測装置を用いて，教師役の被験者と学習者役の被験者のペアの同時脳活動計 測を実施した．学習者役はタングラムに取り組み，教師役は学習者役を観察して彼らにヒント提示する役割とした． 実験の結果，ヒント提示前後の脳活動は，教師役と学習者役で異なる変化を示すことが明らかとなった． キーワード：NIRS，教育神経科学，数学教育 Abstract A near infra-red spectroscopic device is a system used to measure brain activity, which allows subjects to perform actions more naturally while the measurements are being performed. The development of this device has made it possible for a neuroscientific approach to be used not only in the medical, engineering, and cognitive science research fields, but also in the field of education. While designing an educational research experiment measuring brain activity, it is important that the experimental conditions reproduce conditions typically found in the classroom. An example of these would be the relationship between teachers and students. In this study, we used a near-infrared spectroscopic device to take simultaneous measurements of the brain activity of pairs of subjects. One of the subjects played the role of a teacher and the other played the role of a student. Subjects playing the student role were required to solve tangram puzzles, while subjects playing the teacher role observed them and gave them hints. We found significant differences when comparing brain activity before and after giving or receiving hints in subjects acting as teachers as well as subjects acting as students.