High School Brain Training - A Successful Pilot
During February-March 2010, MIND360 conducted a pilot session for the students of Reali high-school in Haifa, Israel. 40 participating students trained in a dedicated site, playing MIND360’s engaging brain training games as an enjoyable way to strengthen key cognitive functions, including memory, attention, executive functions, thinking/reasoning and visual perception of the students. MIND360 and the school’s mutual aim was to evaluate brain fitness technology contribution for improving the learning skills of students.
Methodology: in this 8 weeks pilot, assessment questionnaires were handed out to both students and teachers participating in the pilot. The students were asked to assess their scores in math, computer science and foreign language, motivation to learn and ability to focus in school. The teachers were asked to give their opinion about each student’s abilities, concentration and potential. After the benchmark setting, the same set of questionnaires was handed to both students and teachers in order to examine improvement in the students’ studies.
The students were given login access to the site’s brain games, and each week another brain trainer was added to the program. The program’s goal was to examine the student’s cognitive skills throughout and following their completion of the brain training program. The students’ progress was monitored and reported each week to the pilot manager.
While the brain games were released gradually according to the program stage, the best trainee of the week and the “Challenge” mechanism maintained the inherent students’ motivation. Also, the site was functioning as a mini social network where students could contact their classmates via email, and challenge each other to gain cognitive scores in the various games.
Pilot results: The results of the teachers’ questionnaires indicate a general 11% improvement in concentration, 17% improvement in the students’ persistence, 11% improvement in their relative scores as compared to the class. The student’s improvement was especially apparent in Computer science and Math. The students’ questionnaires indicate a 6% improvement in concentration and a 22% improvement in understanding.
These encouraging results support the theories relating to cognitive training and learning skills, relating to memory improvement and concentration improvement as a result of brain training - showing the value of incorporating brain training games into syllabus to improve student’s achievements. The students enjoy the learning experience and the opportunity to succeed in their studies, while the educators are able to follow the students’ progress and recommend a brain training program to maximize their achievements.
Based on this activity, the Reali school and MIND360 will conduct a larger scale pilot for the junior high students. In addition, a new pilot using MIND360’s brain training games will be evaluated for improving ADD/ADHD symptoms with ADHD diagnosed students.
