Embrace Opportunities and Face Challenges: Using ChatGPT in Undergraduate Students' Collaborative Interdisciplinary Learning

ChatGPT, launched in November 2022, has gained widespread attention from students and educators globally, with an online report by Hu (2023) stating it as the fastest-growing consumer application in history. While discussions on the use of ChatGPT in higher education are abundant, empirical studies on its impact on collaborative interdisciplinary learning are rare. To investigate its potential, we conducted a quasi-experimental study with 130 undergraduate students (STEM and non-STEM) learning digital literacy with or without ChatGPT over two weeks. Weekly surveys were conducted on collaborative interdisciplinary problem-solving, physical and cognitive engagement, and individual reflections on ChatGPT use. Analysis of survey responses showed significant main effects of topics on collaborative interdisciplinary problem-solving and physical and cognitive engagement, a marginal interaction effect between disciplinary backgrounds and ChatGPT conditions for cognitive engagement, and a significant interaction effect for physical engagement. Sentiment analysis of student reflections suggested no significant difference between STEM and non-STEM students' opinions towards ChatGPT. Qualitative analysis of reflections generated eight positive themes, including efficiency, addressing knowledge gaps, and generating human-like responses, and eight negative themes, including generic responses, lack of innovation, and counterproductive to self-discipline and thinking. Our findings suggest that ChatGPT use needs to be optimized by considering the topics being taught and the disciplinary backgrounds of students rather than applying it uniformly. These findings have implications for both pedagogical research and practices.Comment: 33 pages, 2 figures, 5 table

Age-related decline in associative learning in healthy Chinese adults

10.1371/journal.pone.0080648PLoS ONE811-POLN

Transcranial magnetic stimulation in cognitive brain research

Abstract not available

Mild head trauma: Correlating persistent neurobehavioral sequelae with regional cerebral glucose metabolism and regional cerebral blood flow

This study investigated in vivo changes in the regional cerebral uptake of 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) and change in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in persons with mild head trauma using positron emission tomography (PET). Patients\u27 persistent reports of cognitive decline following mild head trauma are often not substantiated by structural brain imaging and neuropsychological examination. Physiological imaging of blood flow and metabolism has shown greater promise. However, retrospective designs, inconsistent subject characteristics and examinations, and inadequate study of correlation between physiology and cognitive deficit, make further study necessary. In the present study, 5 patients with mild head trauma and 5 matched healthy controls were imaged, using FDG-PET to measure group and individual differences in normalized regional cerebral glucose metabolism in the resting state. Subjects were also imaged with oxygen-15 labeled water (H2 15O) PET to measure group differences in rCBF changes during a spatial working memory task. MRIs were acquired and used to co-register to the PET images to assist definition of regions of interests (ROI). Neuropsychological testing, behavioral rating of frontal signs, and self-report of post concussion symptoms were also used to quantify participant complaints and cognitive status. Tests of mean difference examined group differences in FDG-uptake, normalized to occipital cortex, and change in rCBF for hypothesized ROIs (anterior temporal and frontal regions, which are preferentially damaged in traumatic brain injury). Results of the resting state study indicated no difference between patient and controls in normalized regional cerebral glucose metabolism during resting state. In the activation state study, there was a trend for participants with mild head trauma to have smaller change in rCBF than controls in two ROIs within the right prefrontal cortical region. However, there were no meaningful relationships between neuropsychological data and symptom complaints with normalized regional cerebral glucose metabolism and change in rCBF. The findings suggest that a cognitive challenge may be more useful than resting state functional neuroimaging in studying the physiologic changes of mild head trauma. A relationship between persistent post concussion symptom complaints in mild head trauma and regional cerebral FDG-uptake and change in rCBF was not substantiated

The neural correlates of spoken sentence comprehension in the Chinese language: an fMRI study

Everyday social communication emphasizes speech comprehension. To date, most neurobiological models regarding auditory semantic processing are based on alphabetic languages, where the character-based languages such as Chinese are largely underrepresented. Thus, the current study attempted to investigate the neural network of speech comprehension specifically for the Chinese language.Nanyang Technological UniversityPublished versionThis work was supported by the Nanyang Technological University - Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (NTU-JSPS) grant and an NTU-SUG grant from Nanyang Technological University. The publication was supported by a research grant (No. BCD1804) from the Bilingual Cognition and Development Lab, National Key Research Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

A Vision for Translating Neuroimaging Techniques into Clinical Applications through Collaboration

Through the advancement of non-invasive neuroimaging techniques, functional brain imaging research has gained widespread acceptance and increased clinical applications. In Taiwan, similar advances are also emerging, particularly in the integration of multi-modal neuroimaging. However, due to the relative limited local resources and infrastructure desirable for such an endeavor to flourish, we have ventured into collaborating with neighboring countries within the Pacific Rim region such as Japan and the Philippines) using grid technology. This perspectives paper highlights transdisciplinary collaborative efforts within Taiwan, as well as its' neighboring countries within the Pacific Rim. We first present a domestic example of ongoing collaborative efforts in integrating imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to understand targeted neurocircuitries that may be compromised by psychiatric or neurological diseases, for the purpose of developing plausible treatment strategies. Second, we illustrate how such an international collaboration, with a common mission of translating neuroimaging techniques into clinical applications, could benefit strategic interests for all parties involved. Finally, we briefly discuss the constraints and challenges involved with developing such collaborative efforts amongst the Pacific Rim countries, and the possible impact it may have in healthcare provision for the region

Effects of Square Stepping Exercise on cognitive, physical, psychological, and group functioning in sedentary older adults: A center-based hybrid trial

Abstract Background The Square Stepping Exercise (SSE) is an exercise training program that integrates physical exercise and cognitive elements and can be conducted in a group setting. The potential of SSE in delaying cognitive decline in older adults is promising. However, the coronavirus pandemic has made it more difficult for older adults worldwide to exercise together in person. To address this issue, this study conducted a wholistic evaluation of the effects of a center-based hybrid SSE trial on cognitive, physical, psychological, and group functioning in sedentary older adults. Methods A total of 93 older adults (19 men, 74 women) participated in the study. Fifty-eight participants (9 men, 49 women) completed center-based hybrid SSE sessions over 12 weeks under coronavirus pandemic circumstances, whereas other 35 participants in the control group maintained their current level of daily activities. Cognitive functions focused on executive functions assessed by the Stroop Color-Word Test (inhibition) and the Trail Marking Test (TMT) (set-shifting). Psychological and group functioning were assessed by the Subjective Vitality Scale and the Physical Activity Group Environment Questionnaire. Physical function was evaluated by measuring gait speeds. A repeated ANOVA was conducted on the measured variables separately for the intervention and control groups to focus on the change of participant’s performance over data collection points. Results Outcomes of the Stroop Color-Word Test and the TMT revealed that the hybrid SSE was highly effective in improving executive function. Stroop performance (correct trials) was significantly improved in the incongruent condition, as well as both TMT-A and -B over the intervention period in the intervention group. The hybrid SSE was also beneficial to improve physical (gait speed at usual pace and at the maximum pace) as well as psychological functioning (subjective vitality). Furthermore, SSE participants reported increased engagement with the SSE task, social communication, and increased bonding and closeness with their group members through the hybrid SSE. Conclusions In this study, hybrid SSE was found to be effective in enhancing cognitive, physical, psychological, and group functioning in sedentary older adults. The findings of this study are crucial to provide older adults with a safer and efficient option to exercise

AveLI : a robust lateralization index in functional magnetic resonance imaging using unbiased threshold-free computation

The laterality index (LI) is often applied in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies to determine functional hemispheric lateralization. A difficulty in using conventional LI methods lies in ensuring a legitimate computing procedure with a clear rationale. Another problem with LI is dealing with outliers and noise. We propose a method called AveLI that follows a simple and unbiased computational principle using all voxel t-values within regions of interest (ROIs). This method first computes subordinate LIs (sub-LIs) using each of the task-related positive voxel t-values in the ROIs as the threshold as follows: sub-LI = (Lt − Rt)/(Lt + Rt), where Lt and Rt are the sums of the t-values at and above the threshold in the left and right ROIs, respectively. The AveLI is the average of those sub-LIs and indicates how consistently lateralized the performance of the subject is across the full range of voxel t-value thresholds. Its intrinsic weighting of higher t-value voxels in a data-driven manner helps to reduce noise effects. The resistance against outliers is demonstrated using a simulation. We applied the AveLI as well as other “non-thresholding” and “thresholding” LI methods to two language tasks using participants with right- and left-hand preferences. The AveLI showed a moderate index value among 10 examined indices. The rank orders of the participants did not vary between indices. AveLI provides an index that is not only comprehensible but also highly resistant to outliers and to noise, and it has a high reproducibility between tasks and the ability to categorize functional lateralization

Aging patterns of Japanese auditory semantic processing: an fMRI study

The efficacy of listening comprehension is presumably sustained over the life span, contradicting the stereotype of universal cognitive decline. It is thus worth investigating whether and how the preserved auditory semantic function is supported by affected or unaffected neural mechanism with age. To investigate this issue, 22 younger and 21 older Japanese adults were imaged in a 3 Tesla MRI scanner while performing an auditory semantic-tone task. Results showed that (a) relative to younger adults, older participants had preserved accuracy and slowed responses, underpinned by weakened interconnectivity and largely unchanged activation and laterality; (b) older adults with superior performance developed increased regional left-lateralization and stronger interregional connectivity within the domain-general networks; (c) these age-related or performance-related cortical reorganizations were largely consistent with neurocognitive aging models that were supported by age-sensitive cognitive domains, suggesting that these models might also be accountable for relatively age-intact cognitive functions such as auditory semantic processing.Nanyang Technological UniversityThis work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) under Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI #15H03104 and 19H04025); and a funding source for NTU-SUG from Nanyang Technological University. The second author was supported by a generous gift of Swartz Foundation (Old Field, New York)