#572: PBL Scripts Boost Neural Synchronization and Task Performance in STEM Collaboration: Evidence from fNIRS Hyperscanning

In STEM education, group collaboration requires interaction strategies to improve effectiveness, and hyperscanning has revolutionized social interaction research. Sixty-six college students were divided into groups of three to complete product design tasks, including those without project-based scaffolding and those with project-based scaffolding. Meanwhile, multi-brain-region activity was synchronously monitored via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning. The result revealed these findings. 1) Under the condition of having project-based scaffolding. Inter-brain synchronization (IBS) in the right temporoparietal junction (r-TPJ) was enhanced in the early collaboration stage, while prefrontal cortex IBS was enhanced later. 2) The frequency of scaffolding and questioning behaviors showed a significant correlation with r-TPJ IBS enhancement. 3) Early-stage scaffolding frequency was significantly correlated with task outcomes’ fluency, integration, and technology scores. This study provides new insights for learning sciences and neuroscientific evidence for collaborative learning theories, facilitating research on team cognitive coordination and efficiency.