A long-term study involving repeated scans of the brains of children aged 8-23 over several years is being used to develop a better idea how the growing brain works. As has been discovered in adults, children have unique pathways in the brain which correlate to different functions. These tests are being used to better predict how a child processes information.
Evaluating this area will be revolutionary for child development. With a better understanding of what a child needs, parents and teachers can cater more personally to the most effective ways to teach students. This will reduce frustration in the kids and give them a more positive experience overall in school.
However, the article references measuring cognitive potential, which is concerning. This term reads as a measure of how smart a child is. While I understand that is not necessarily the case, not everyone will read between the lines so having a quantitative measure of this may be highly detrimental to students. In the wrong hands, the information could be used to rank children and separate them based on their perceived intelligence.
Regardless of the implications, better understanding of the brain at all stages will likely bring more benefits and detriments to everyone. It is exciting to imagine a world where we can be prepared to provide the best possible education to all.
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This is an interesting concept. As far as I know, there are a lot of studies happening right now to look at child brain development, because, as you said, it's important for a whole slew of things. In terms of education, I think one of the most important things we can do is form more individualized learning for students. For example, some children have a hard time with verbal learning, so perhaps we can apply future research to figure out ways to teach these children more effectively. I also like that you mention the possible drawbacks of learning more about cognitive potential. There's something very dystopian about a future where children are separated based on perceived intellectual potential.
ReplyDeleteButheina Ghweir
This is very exciting prospect for developing responses to psychiatric disorders. Our current methods are often poor and sometimes atrocious (see https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/03/05/electric-shock-fda-ban/ for example).
ReplyDeleteI do share your worry on evaluating any kind of intelligence factor from this data. When coupled with the fact that an individualized brain scan program would only available for the wealthy, it indeed presents grim possibilities for the future.
Cheers,
Ryan Gibbons