Research on the role of attention in improving video-based learning

教育正在走向网络。在全球大流行期间，这一正在进行的进程加快，教育工作者越来越多地利用现有的在线视频内容来补充同步远程教学。这种方法的一个问题是被动观看视频内容不是特别有效的教学形式。许多学生努力维持对在线视频的注意力，这反映在随后的学习测试中表现不佳。本项目将探讨各种干预措施，旨在让学生参与此类视频材料。这些干预措施包括交叉提问和反馈，促进建设性思维和促进与其他学生的讨论等特点。前提是主动观看可以提高注意力，从而获得更好的学习效果。这项实验室研究的目的是完善“学生参与”的概念，目前没有区分积极参与和注意学习材料，两个重要的，但可能不同的因素，有助于学习。这项关于学习的基础研究是通过直接使用大脑和眼睛活动来测量注意力投入而实现的。从实践的角度来看，该项目的目标是确定教师可以使用的简单干预措施，以更好地利用在线提供的大量教育视频。本项目的总体目标是提高视频在远程教学中的效果。基本假设是，注意力参与教育视频介导学习，注意力参与可以通过促进主动观看的干预措施来增强。这一假设激发了以下目标。目标1：测试将被动观看转换为主动观看以改善学习的干预措施：具体而言，确定通过现有的简短STEM教育视频改善注意力和学习的干预措施。干预措施将在在线平台上进行前瞻性测试，同时在线招募参与者和STEM大学生。目标二：解释视频的注意力参与对学习的影响：具体来说，通过确定成功的主动观看干预的效果是否会前瞻性地影响注意力参与和表现来测试基本假设。注意力将在远程实验中通过眼动追踪和实验室中的EEG进行测量，同时在STEM大学生中招募。该项目还将测试认知特征和学习环境的影响。目标3：包括来自STEM领域代表性不足的群体的学生。具体来说，学生将协助研究与眼动跟踪和脑电图，以及视频材料的选择和试题的设计。在此过程中，这些学生研究人员将提供他们对远程学习挑战的独特观点。该项目由EHR核心研究（ECR）计划资助，该计划支持STEM学习和学习环境的基础研究，扩大STEM的参与，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识产权进行评估来支持。优点和更广泛的影响审查标准。

Education is moving online. During the global pandemic, this ongoing process accelerated and educators increasingly leveraged existing online video content to supplement synchronous remote instruction. One problem with this approach is that passive viewing of video content is not a particularly effective form of instruction. Many students struggle to sustain their attention to online video, and this is reflected in poor performance in subsequent tests of learning. This project will explore a variety of interventions that aim to engage the students with such video material. These interventions include such characteristics as interleaving questions and feedback, prompting constructive thinking and facilitating discussion with other students. The premise is that active viewing enhances attention and leads to better learning outcomes. This laboratory research aims to refine the concept of “student engagement”, which at present does not distinguish between active participation and attention to the learning material, two important but potentially differing factors that contribute to learning. This fundamental research on learning is made possible by measuring attentional engagement directly using brain and eye activity. From a practical point of view, the goal of this project is to identify simple interventions teachers can use to better leverage the vast trove of educational videos available online. The overall objective of this project is to improve the efficacy of video in remote instruction. The basic hypothesis is that attentional engagement with educational video mediates learning and that attentional engagement can be enhanced with interventions that promote active viewing. This hypothesis motivates the following aims. Aim 1: Test interventions that convert passive viewing into active viewing to improve learning: Specifically, identify interventions that improve attention and learning with existing short STEM education videos. Interventions will be tested prospectively on an online platform while recruiting participants online and among STEM college students. Aim 2: Explain the effects of attentional engagement with video on learning: Specifically, test the basic hypothesis by determining whether the effect of successful active viewing interventions prospectively affect attentional engagement and performance. Attention will be measured with eye tracking in remote experiments and with EEG in the lab, while recruiting among STEM college students. The project will also test the effect of cognitive traits and the learning environment. Aim 3: Include students from groups underrepresented in STEM fields in the research. Specifically, students will assist in research with eye tracking and EEG, as well as the selection of video material and design of test questions. In doing so, these student researchers will provide their unique perspective on the challenges of remote learning.This project is funded by the EHR Core Research (ECR) program, which supports fundamental research on STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.