CAS Digital Learning in Emergencies (2022-23)/module4-Taam

Openness in science: the case of research labs

Introduction

Research is considered an arena of science. Research, on the other hand, does not start from scratch, neither does it start by uneducated people. The research is initiated from knowledge acquired by researchers in school and university, i.e. through education. At the same time, research produces knowledge for learners and instructors in school and university, that is for education. Thus, it is a continuum in which education leads to science and science serves education. As put by Inserm, “beginning from what is already known [education], scientists ask questions, construct hypotheses, and develop experiments that will generate new knowledge [education]” (Inserm, 2021).

Edu-Sci Continuum

Overall objective

Be aware of Open Education and Open Science concepts and practices

Learning outcomes

 Identify key concepts and practices of open movement.

 Appraise examples of research practices from the openness perspective.

Activities

 Develop an openness analysis framework (OAF);

 Look up a convenient sample of cognitive neuroscience research labs (CNRLs) using Google and Bing search engines;

 List sample’s elements in a directory or catalogue form that can describe to others what each is about and guide them to how to reach out to it;

 Analyse the sample of CNRLs using OAF; and

 Produce a taxonomic outline of openness in CNRLs’ research practices (expected results).

Evaluation

The evaluation of OERs & OEPs found will depend on a rubric underpinned by the sharing value. Sharing comes at the heart of all openness values when it encompasses all components of the subject matter like objectives or purposes, contents, method (methodology), tools, results and documentation. Therefore, preliminarily, the rubric can look as follows:

 Fully open: All objectives or purposes, contents, method (methodology/pedagogy), tools, results and publications are publicly shared.

 Almost fully open: All parts of the system, but objectives/purposes, are shared.

 Quite open: Content, results and publications are shared.

 Open a little: Only contents or publications are shared.

 Virtually closed: Nothing shared, but some titles or links.

 Closed: Nothing shared other than the names or titles of research project.

For illustration, these are a few preliminary examples

Illustrative Application of Evaluation Rubric

Openness Level	Home	Unit	Lab	Publications	Projects
Open a little	Arizona State University	Dept of Psychology	Decision Neuroscience Laboratory	Has access links to full articles	Only titles
Virtually closed			Learning and Development Lab	Links to journals, but no access	Only titles
Open a little			Memory and Attention Control Lab	Has access links to full articles	Only titles
Quite open	University of Missouri	School of Medicine	Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory	Refers to government medicine library with almost all full articles are accessible	Shows progress and results of research (see example)
Closed	Boston Children's Hospital	Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience	The Wilkinson Laboratory for early language acquisition and cognition	No reference to any.	No reference to any.
Closed			The Nelson Laboratory for brain and behaviour development in infants and children	No reference to any	No reference to any.

Inserm (2021). Research continuum. Online source available at https://www.inserm.fr/en/our-research/research-continuum/. Accessed on 20.12.2022.

Annex: An illustration of the catalogue’s content

1. Boston Children's Hospital Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience

2 Brookline Place

Brookline, MA 02445

Main Lab: 617-355-0400

Email:Jessica.Slater@childrens.harvard.edu

Overview

Boston Children's Hospital Research under the direction of Charles A. Nelson, PhD, the Boston Children's Hospital Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience are dedicated to furthering our understanding of brain and cognitive development in typically developing infants and children, as well as children diagnosed with or at risk for various developmental disorders. In gaining a better understanding of these processes, our goal is to contribute to the healthy growth and development of our children. Our multidisciplinary team of researchers brings together experts from a wide range of fields, including neuroscience, psychology, and education. In collaboration with clinical experts in fields such as developmental pediatrics and child neurology, we are working to expand our knowledge of child development and developmental disorders through cutting edge cognitive neuroscience research. Our central areas of focus include the development of memory and face-processing, the impact of environmental factors such as stress on cognitive development, and growing research programs in autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. Through this collaborative and comprehensive approach, we aim to drive the science forward as rapidly as possible, so that we can translate what we learn into earlier identification, improved therapies, and better outcomes for children and families affected by developmental disorders.

The Nelson Laboratory

Dr. Nelson and his staff are studying a variety of questions related to brain and behavior development in infants and children. In particular they are interested in the role that experience plays in shaping these developmental pathways.

The Wilkinson Laboratory

Dr. Wilkinson and her team are interested in understanding the neurobiological and environmental factors that impact language acquisition and cognition in early child development.

The Arnett Laboratory

Dr. Arnett and her research team aim to improve precision medicine care for children and families affected by neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Arnett’s laboratory investigates brain-behavior associations leading to atypical neurodevelopment among children. Research initiatives have included investigations of neurocognitive and genetic etiologies of ADHD, learning disorders and autism; as well as single gene disorders associated with autism and intellectual disability.

The Faja Laboratory

Dr. Faja and her team are studying social and cognitive development in individuals with autism spectrum disorders, other neurodevelopmental disorders, and typical development.

Research Projects

Projects table

The project	Its theme	Description
The Faja Laboratory	Plasticity and treatment response	Can existing training programs be adapted for clinical use? Which aspects of behavior and neural function change in response to intervention?
	Individual differences	How can we understand the vast differences in children with autism spectrum disorders? Do we see the same patterns in typical development? Can we better predict which individuals will respond to interventions or may benefit from combinations of treatments?
	Autism spectrum disorders	What risk factors are associated with specific aspects of autism? How can we better measure the strengths and challenges of all individuals with autism spectrum disorders? How can we better understand and support individuals with autism later in life?
The Wilkinson Laboratory	Brain-based biomarkers of language acquisition in neurodevelopmental disorders	focus on identifying biomarkers of language development in young children at risk for severe language impairment, including infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders, and genetic disorders such as Fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome. Biomarkers identified through these studies could be used as objective measures of language prognosis, treatment monitoring during clinical trials, and development of effective therapies.
	Early brain development	interested in understanding biological and environmental factors that impact early brain development and, in turn, functional outcomes in children. What is the expected developmental trajectory of a variety of EEG-based brain measures over the first three years of life? Are individual differences in developmental trajectory associated with developmental outcomes, and if so, what factors mediate these individual differences?
The Arnett Laboratory	School-aged children with ADHD & related neurodevelopmental disorders	What cognitive, neuropsychological, and genetic factors are associated with diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and associated symptoms?
	Preschool-aged children at risk for ADHD	Are there neurocognitive differences that we can measure using EEG and neuropsychological testing that will predict which children at risk for ADHD will go on to develop the disorder in later childhood?
	Brain-based biomarkers associated with neurodevelopmental disorders	What can neurobiological markers of ADHD and neurodevelopmental disorders tell us about the origin of these symptoms? How can these biomarkers help us develop individualized treatment plans for each child and family?
The Nelson Laboratory	The ability to recognize faces and emotions	How do infants and children learn to process the social information that faces convey? What is happening differently for children with autism spectrum disorders, who often struggle with everyday social interactions? Are there links between how social information is processed in infancy and children who later develop problems with anxiety?
	The impacts of early biological and psychosocial adversity	How do such experiences impact brain development? Can we identify ways to remediate some of the negative impacts? What would early intervention look like for children exposed to adversity early in life?
	Infants and children at high risk for developing autism spectrum disorder	How early in life can we identify infants who will later develop autism? And, can our brain-based measures of autism shed light on why some children develop autism and others do not?
Longitudinal Accelerated Boston Study (LABS)		In this research study we want to learn more about how children’s thinking, behaviors, and ability to regulate their emotions develop over the first three years of life. These skill sets are important for children to learn, work, and manage daily life. Our primary goal is to develop a toolkit that can be used to assess executive functions and emotional regulation during the first three years, when interventions are most effective. We are working in coordination with several international partner laboratories to understand how children develop these skill sets in different environmental contexts.

Openness comment

There is no reference, neither to publications nor to results or progress of research in any of the four labs.