Bridge to neuroscience workshop: An effective educational tool to introduce principles of neuroscience to Hispanics students

Abstract

Neuroscience as a discipline is rarely covered in educational institutions in Puerto Rico. In an effort to overcome this deficit we developed the Bridge to Neuroscience Workshop (BNW), a full-day hands-on workshop in neuroscience education. BNW was conceived as an auxiliary component of a parent recruitment program called Bridge to the PhD in Neuroscience Program (BPNP). The objectives of BNW are to identify promising students for BPNP, and to increase awareness of neuroscience as a discipline and a career option. BNW introduces basic concepts in neuroscience using a variety of educational techniques, including mini-lectures, interactive discussions, case studies, experimentation, and a sheep brain dissection. Since its inception in 2011 BNW has undergone a series of transformations that continue to improve upon an already successful and influential educational program for underrepresented minorities. As of Fall 2018, we have presented 21 workshops, impacting 200 high school and 424 undergraduate students. BNW has been offered at University of Puerto Rico (UPR)-Arecibo, UPR-Cayey, UPR-Humacao, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Ponce, and Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico-Arecibo. A pre-and post evaluation was given to evaluate material comprehension and thus measure effectiveness of our one-day interactive workshop. Our results suggest that both high school and undergraduate students have little prior knowledge of neuroscience, and that participation in BNW improves not only understanding, but also enthusiasm for the discipline. Currently, our assessment has only been able to evaluate short-term effects (e.g. comprehension and learning). Therefore, our current focus is developing methods capable of determining how participation in BNW impacts future academic and career decisions.

Fig 1. Map of Puerto Rico indicating the municipalities of BNW participating institutions.

The municipalities of Arecibo, Cayey, Humacao and Ponce have hosted the 21 previously conducted workshops. The undergraduate institutions that served as hosts are; the University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico-Arecibo, University of Puerto Rico-Cayey, University of Puerto Rico-Humacao, and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Ponce. High schools from 12 different municipalities have participated in the workshops. This is a representative map of Puerto Rico’s municipalities and it is for illustrative purposes only.

Fig 2. Comparison between high school and undergraduate knowledge about neuroscience prior to and after participation in BNW.

High school students had a significantly higher mean percentage of incorrect answers prior to BNW attendance (A). Undergraduate students scored significantly higher on the pre-test as compared to high school students (B). Following completion of BNW, the number of correctly answered question increased significantly for high school (C) and undergraduate (D) students. a indicates a significant difference from “correct” within group. b indicates a significant difference from pre-test response within student population. c indicates a significant difference from high school pre-test group within response.

Fig 3. Representative response of a BNW participant.

These drawings are the answer of a BNW participant to a question addressing understanding of the unique structure and function of neurons concept. The question is as follow: Draw a picture of the neuron. Make sure to include structures for receiving and sending information.