Can a short math video enhance the brain's mathematical networks?

Abstract

Many teaching websites, such as the Khan Academy, propose vivid videos illustrating a mathematical concept. Using fMRI, we asked whether watching such a video suffices to rapidly change the brain networks for mathematical knowledge. We capitalized on the finding that, when judging the truth of short spoken statements, distinct semantic regions activate depending on whether the statements bear on mathematical knowledge or on other domains of semantic knowledge. Here, participants answered such questions before and after watching a lively five-minute video which taught them the rudiments of a new domain. During the video, a distinct math-responsive network, comprising anterior intraparietal and inferior temporal nodes, showed inter-subject synchrony when viewing mathematics course rather than control courses in biology or law. However, this experience led to minimal subsequent changes in the activity of those domain-specific areas when answering questions on the same topics a few minutes later. All taught facts, whether mathematical or not, led to domain-general repetition enhancement, particularly prominent in the cuneus, posterior cingulate and posterior parietal cortices. We conclude that short videos do not suffice to induce a meaningful lasting change in the brains math-responsive network, but merely engage domain-general regions possibly involved in episodic short-term memory. Significance StatementTeaching mathematical concepts is difficult. To facilitate the comprehension and appeal of mathematics, several teaching websites provide vivid videos illustrating math concepts. Here, however, we show that merely watching such videos fails to improve the brain networks for mathematics. During the video itself, these networks are transiently engaged - but a few minutes later, when we ask questions about the taught concepts, performance is only minimally improved, and the participants engage generic regions thought to be involved in short-memory and language, rather than the targeted math-responsive regions. Brief video watching is therefore insufficient as a pedagogical device, probably because it misses ingredients such as teacher-pupil interactions, explicit teaching, active engagement, retrieval practice, repetition, and sleep.