New high-tech 'classroom' provides insights to help adults learn better

Brain activity monitor, cameras and recorders facilitate research in real-world settings

- Elisha Tushara

Equipped with five cameras and audio recording devices, a new "classroom" aims to be a place where educators and companies can experiment with methods to help adults learn better.

Housed within the Lifelong Learning Institute in Paya Lebar, the Adult Learning Collaboratory features a small theatre meant for experiments, and a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) equipment which can monitor brain activity.

The fNIRS equipment monitors brain activity through sensors on head caps which are worn by adult learners during a lesson. The device uses non-invasive neuroimaging technology to record changes in the outer layers of the brain.

The data provided can show if the adult learners were effectively working together, being creative, or even experiencing stress by looking at the activity levels across different parts of the brain.

These are among the possibilities available to educators in innovating and devising teaching and learning methods for adult learners, thanks to a newly opened hub.