TY - GEN
T1 - A Case Study on Teaching a Brain–Computer Interface Interdisciplinary Course to Undergraduates
AU - Belkacem, Abdelkader Nasreddine
AU - Lakas, Abderrahmane
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - The construction of an environment appropriate for information technology education is still challenging, especially in countries such as North Africa and the Middle East. Interdisciplinary courses that keep undergraduate students updated about emergent technologies are thus crucial for information technology education in these regions. Brain–computer interface (BCI) is a promising method that combines contemporary science, emerging technologies, and neuroeducation to establish a scientific grounding for teaching and learning. However, teaching multidisciplinary courses to undergraduates demands a combined learning approach that is challenging. Students must engage in active learning, contribute skilled participation, and imbibe additional knowledge as well as skills from traditional-type lectures. Further, they must also comprehend brain functions and use new measurement methods, advanced signal processing algorithms, and classification/control methods. This paper presents a mixed approach to undergraduate instruction that is theoretically and practically tethered to BCI aspects and utilizes a suitable mix of a BCI expert and teaching resources, such as slides, videos, and the Unicorn Education Kit. Thirty female students were taught the theoretical aspects of BCI and were asked to apply their BCI knowledge via original projects taken from conception to implementation in a single semester. The principal outcomes of this interdisciplinary course encompassed the development, implementation, and assessment of electroencephalogram (EEG)-based BCI education projects. Undergraduate students applied the theories acquired in class to observe and evaluate electrical signals generated by brain activity and measured via the Unicorn Education Kit. The efficacy of this project-based learning (PjBL) experiment was evaluated through student responses to a questionnaire and the analysis of examination results. The participants acquired the requisite knowledge and evinced higher interest in the fields of study and were able to build their own BCI applications. They were thus motivated to engage in further BCI research.
AB - The construction of an environment appropriate for information technology education is still challenging, especially in countries such as North Africa and the Middle East. Interdisciplinary courses that keep undergraduate students updated about emergent technologies are thus crucial for information technology education in these regions. Brain–computer interface (BCI) is a promising method that combines contemporary science, emerging technologies, and neuroeducation to establish a scientific grounding for teaching and learning. However, teaching multidisciplinary courses to undergraduates demands a combined learning approach that is challenging. Students must engage in active learning, contribute skilled participation, and imbibe additional knowledge as well as skills from traditional-type lectures. Further, they must also comprehend brain functions and use new measurement methods, advanced signal processing algorithms, and classification/control methods. This paper presents a mixed approach to undergraduate instruction that is theoretically and practically tethered to BCI aspects and utilizes a suitable mix of a BCI expert and teaching resources, such as slides, videos, and the Unicorn Education Kit. Thirty female students were taught the theoretical aspects of BCI and were asked to apply their BCI knowledge via original projects taken from conception to implementation in a single semester. The principal outcomes of this interdisciplinary course encompassed the development, implementation, and assessment of electroencephalogram (EEG)-based BCI education projects. Undergraduate students applied the theories acquired in class to observe and evaluate electrical signals generated by brain activity and measured via the Unicorn Education Kit. The efficacy of this project-based learning (PjBL) experiment was evaluated through student responses to a questionnaire and the analysis of examination results. The participants acquired the requisite knowledge and evinced higher interest in the fields of study and were able to build their own BCI applications. They were thus motivated to engage in further BCI research.
KW - Brain–computer interface (BCI)
KW - Electroencephalogram (EEG)
KW - Interdisciplinary education
KW - Learning theories
KW - Project-based learning (PjBL)
KW - Unicorn Education Kit
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85109563527&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85109563527&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-981-16-2834-4_18
DO - 10.1007/978-981-16-2834-4_18
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85109563527
SN - 9789811628337
T3 - Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies
SP - 215
EP - 228
BT - Smart Education and e-Learning 2021
A2 - Uskov, Vladimir L.
A2 - Howlett, Robert J.
A2 - Howlett, Robert J.
A2 - Jain, Lakhmi C.
A2 - Jain, Lakhmi C.
A2 - Howlett, Robert J.
A2 - Jain, Lakhmi C.
PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
T2 - 8th International KES Conference on Smart Education and e-Learning, KES-SEEL 2021
Y2 - 14 June 2021 through 16 June 2021
ER -