Abstract: In recent years interactive media and tools, like scientific simulations and simulation environments or dynamic data visualizations, became established methods in the neural and cognitive sciences. Hence, university teachers of neural and cognitive sciences are faced with the challenge to integrate these media into the neuroscientific curriculum. Especially simulations and dynamic visualizations offer great opportunities for teachers and learners, since they are both illustrative and explorable. However, simulations bear instructional problems: they are abstract, demand some computer skills and conceptual knowledge about what simulations intend to explain. By following two central questions this article provides an overview on possible approaches to be applied in neuroscience education and opens perspectives for their curricular integration: (i) How can complex scientific media be transformed for educational use in an efficient and (for students on all levels) comprehensible manner and (ii) by what technical infrastructure can this transformation be supported? Exemplified by educational simulations for the neurosciences and their application in courses, answers to these questions are proposed a) by introducing a specific educational simulation approach for the neurosciences b) by introducing an e-learning environment for simulations, and c) by providing examples of curricular integration on different levels which might help academic teachers to integrate newly created or existing interactive educational resources in their courses.

Abstract: Understanding the functioning of brains is an extremely challenging endeavour - both for researches as well as for students. Interactive media and tools, like simulations, databases and visualizations or virtual laboratories proved to be not only indispensable in research but also in education to help understanding brain function. Accordingly, a wide range of such media and tools are now available and it is getting increasingly difficult to see an overall picture. Written by researchers, tool developers and experienced academic teachers, this special issue of Brains, Minds & Media covers a broad range of interactive research media and tools with a strong emphasis on their use in neural and cognitive sciences education. The focus lies not only on the tools themselves, but also on the question of how research tools can significantly enhance learning and teaching and how a curricular integration can be achieved. This collection gives a comprehensive overview of existing tools and their usage as well as the underlying educational ideas and thus provides an orientation guide not only for teaching researchers but also for interested teachers and students.

Abstract: Learning is based on rules that can be elucidated by behavioural experiments. This article focuses on virtual experiments, in which non-associative learning (habituation, sensitization) and principles of associative learning (contiguity, inhibitory learning, generalization, overshadowing, positive and negative patterning) can be examined using 'virtual' honey bees in PER (Proboscis Reaction Extension) conditioning experiments. Users can develop experimental designs, simulate and document the experiments and find explanations and suggestions for the analysis of the learning experiments. The virtual experiments are based on video sequences and data from actual learning experiments. The bees' responses are determined by probability-based learning profiles.

Abstract: The problem of sharing and re-using existing digital scientific and educational resources within learning environments has vital importance for building an effective e-learning resource repository. Most systems lack integrative mechanisms to connect arbitrary resources to learning units. This article describes such a mechanism and opens perspectives for its use in higher education. It is implemented in the monist system, a learning and instruction environment supporting the use of simulations in higher education. Monist provides a unified educational context and supports sharing and recombination of stored learning objects. By integration of external resources the re-use of existing scientific and educational resources is fostered. Originally designed for education in neural and cognitive sciences, monist offers a general solution to the problem of sharing and re-using content.

Abstract: Die verlagsunabhängige Etablierung eines neuen Open Access Journals erfordert neue redaktionelle Modelle. Ein Weg, neue redaktionelle Modelle zu erproben, ist die Etablierung von Redaktionstandems zwischen Fachwissenschaftlern und Bibliothekaren. Die Universität Bielefeld arbeitet aktiv am Ausbau innovativer Publikationsmodelle, u.a. auf Open Access Basis. Zu nennen ist hier etwa das Open Access E-Journal BRAINS, MINDS & MEDIA. Die Zeitschrift wird herausgegeben von Fachwissenschaftlern des Bielefelder Lehrstuhls für Neurobiologie und gefördert durch die Initiative Digital Peer Publishing (DiPP NRW, MWF) sowie durch die Universität Bielefeld. Neben klassischen Artikeln werden auch Materialien publiziert, z.B. Visualisierungen und Simulationen. Sowohl das Gutachterverfahren als auch der Publikationsprozess werden mithilfe eines elektronischen Systems abgewickelt, das durch das Hochschulbibliothekszentrum NRW (HBZ) als drittem Partner bereitgestellt und an die speziellen Erfordernisse des Journals angepasst wird. Ein neuartiges Redaktionstandem, gebildet aus Fachwissenschaftlern des Lehrstuhls für Neurobiologie und Mitarbeitern der Universitätsbibliothek Bielefeld, betreut die Zeitschrift vor Ort. Der Beitrag beschreibt eingehend die Struktur, die Aufgabenverteilung und die Erfahrungen des Redaktionstandems mit einem gemeinsamen Workflow, in dem beide Seiten die ihnen eigenen Expertenaufgaben übernehmen. Die Synergien aus dem Fachwissen der Wissenschaftler und der Informationsvermittlung durch die Bibliothek können helfen, nachhaltige Strukturen zu etablieren und so eine hohe und dauerhafte Präsenz des Journals zu erzeugen.

Abstract: The monist-project has committed itself to the task of developing recipes for the use of simulations in higher education in neural and cognitive science. The basis of the monist-project is a software package, the monist console, designed for providing compact, ready to use educational simulations with variable application context. The monist console is a client-server application supporting online and offline learning with simulations. Simulations become educational as they are complemented by topical texts, instructional design, concrete tasks and an editor for individual notes and solutions. This ‘format’ is integrated in the monist-console. Educational simulations can be used in nearly every learning context found in higher education. They can selectively supplement lectures and tutorials or can be compiled to complete courses. Online file-management and communication tools as well as an learning management (via monist-server) help to organize personalized courses.