Method and System for Training Number Sense

• US 20120189990A1
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University, University of Rochester
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Inventors: Bavelier, Daphne, Green, C. Shawn, Halberda, Justin, Pouget, Alexandre
• Application Number:
  US13/301,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20120189990A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/188
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for training number sense of a person by providing content which challenges the approximate number system in the context of an interactive video game. The training of non-verbal number sense is fostered through brain plasticity and learning associated with dynamic interactive video game environments. The present invention may provide tasks to a player through an interactive video game. Actions are received from the player, and a number sense acuity value is measured based on those actions. Feedback is provided to the player based on the number sense acuity value.

Claims

1. A method for training a player'"'"'s number sense, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interactive video game;

presenting a task to the player, the task being presented using the interactive video game;

receiving action information from the player in response to the presented task;

measuring a number sense acuity value of the player based on the received action information; and

providing feedback to the player, the feedback being provided using the interactive video game based on the number sense acuity value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting a task further comprises the sub-steps of:

displaying a plurality of stimuli on a display; and

inducing the player to estimate the number of displayed stimuli.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the number sense acuity value on a display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive video game has a plurality of entry points, each entry point having an associated degree of difficulty.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of measuring an initial number sense acuity value of the player, wherein the initial number sense acuity value determines the entry point for the player.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the player is induced to estimate the displayed stimuli over a period of time and/or within a space.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting a task further comprises the sub-steps of:

displaying a plurality of stimuli on a display; and

inducing the player to produce a target number of actions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting a task further comprises the sub-steps of:

displaying a plurality of stimuli on a display, the plurality of stimuli arranged in at least two stimuli subsets; and

inducing the player to compare the number of stimuli in the at least two stimuli subsets.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting a task further comprises the sub-steps of:

displaying a symbolic arithmetic event and a non-symbolic arithmetic event on a display; and

inducing the player to estimate a result of the symbolic arithmetic event and the non-symbolic arithmetic event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting a task further comprises the sub-steps of:

displaying a plurality of stimuli on a display, each stimuli having a numerosity; and

inducing the player to organize each stimulus according to numerosity.

11. The method of claim 1, the step of presenting a task further comprising the sub-step of:

displaying a plurality of stimuli on a display, each stimuli having more than one dimension; and

inducing the player to organize each stimulus according to the dimensions of the stimulus.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the task is presented through more than one modality.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the modalities comprise two or more modalities selected from vision, audition, or touch.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the modalities through which tasks are presented vary throughout the interactive video game.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting a task further comprises the sub-steps of:

displaying a plurality of stimuli on a display, the stimuli at least partially obscured; and

inducing the player to gather evidence of the stimuli through altering the player'"'"'s view in the interactive video game.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of tracking the player'"'"'s progress throughout the interactive video game.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the player'"'"'s progress is tracked using a graph.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein more than one task is simultaneously presented to the player, wherein each task has a different temporal scale.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

measuring a subsequent number sense acuity value of the player; and

preparing a report using the number sense acuity value and the subsequent number sense acuity value.

20. A system for training number sense of a player, the system comprising:

a display; and

a video game system in communication with the display, the video game system comprising;

a processor; and

an input controller in electronic communication with the processor, the input controller allowing the player to interact with the video game system;

the processor programmed to;

present a task to the player using the display;

receive action information from the input controller, the input controller being manipulated by the player in response to the presented task;

measure a number sense acuity value of the player based on the action information received from the input controller; and

provide feedback to the player, the feedback based on the measured number sense acuity value.