From lab to math classroom: Utilizing eye gaze and cognitive control tasks to examine the effects of perceptual cues and structure on mathematical performance

在数学问题解决中使用感知线索已被证明可以提高学生的表现。注意和执行功能技能是解释知觉支持如何以及对谁产生最大影响的两种潜在机制。然而，在教育环境中测量学生的执行功能、注意力和认知控制是具有挑战性的。使用更可扩展和负担得起的基于网络的工具，如开源的执行功能和眼睛注视测量，为理解与数学相关的认知处理中的个体差异提供了一种手段。该项目旨在通过研究如何将眼睛注视/跟踪器和执行功能/认知控制措施等开源工具嵌入在线技术平台，以开展生态有效的课堂研究，从而为首席研究员在数学感知学习方面的研究建立能力和专业知识。为了将研究从实验室转移到有更广泛人群的教室，并测试机制，将进行两项研究。第一项研究将在大学生中建立使用开源眼动追踪（Webgazer）和执行功能测量（ACE-X）的可用性和可行性。第二项研究将以中学生为对象，在课堂情境中测试这些关系。通过运用转化研究来研究关键的潜在调节因子和中介因子，本工作有助于研究注意力和执行功能如何影响学生在数学问题解决过程中使用感知支架。该项目的成果也将指导在教育中进行转化研究的方法，也可能为未来教育干预或技术支持的设计提供信息。该项目得到了比尔和梅林达·盖茨基金会、施密特期货和沃尔顿家族基金会的合作支持。该项目还得到了美国国家科学基金会EDU STEM教育研究核心研究能力建设（ECR: BCSER）项目的支持，该项目旨在培养研究人员在STEM学习和学习环境的核心领域开展高质量STEM教育研究的能力，扩大STEM领域的参与，以及STEM劳动力的发展。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Using perceptual cues in mathematical problem solving has been shown to improve students' performance. Attention and executive function skills are two potential mechanisms that explain how and for whom perceptual supports have the greatest impact. However, measuring executive function, attention, and cognitive control with students in educational settings is challenging. Using more scalable and affordable web-based tools such as open-source executive function and eye gaze measures provides a means to understand individual differences in cognitive processing related to math. This project aims to build capacity and expertise in the principal investigator's research on perceptual learning in mathematics by examining how open source tools such as eye gaze/trackers and executive function/cognitive control measures can be embedded into online technology platforms to conduct ecologically valid classroom-based research. To move research from the lab to classrooms with broader populations and to test mechanisms, two studies will be conducted. The first study will establish the usability and feasibility of using open-source eye tracking (Webgazer) and executive function measures (ACE-X) online with college students. The second study will test these relations in classroom contexts with middle school students. By using translational research to investigate key potential moderators and mediators, this work can contribute to research on how attention and executive function impact student use of perceptual scaffolds during mathematics problem solving. The outcomes of this project will also guide methods to conduct translational research in education and may also inform the future design of educational interventions or technology supports. This project is supported through a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Schmidt Futures, and the Walton Family Foundation. This project is also supported by NSF's EDU Core Research Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) program, which is designed to build investigators' capacity to carry out high-quality STEM education research in the core areas of STEM learning and learning environments, broadening participation in STEM fields, 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.