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

教育正在向网上转移。在全球大流行期间，这一持续进程加快，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，被动观看视频内容并不是一种特别有效的教学形式。许多学生很难保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。这个项目将探索各种干预措施，旨在让学生参与到此类视频材料中来。这些干预措施包括交错问题和反馈、激发建设性思维和促进与其他学生的讨论等特点。前提是，积极观看会增强注意力，并导致更好的学习结果。这项实验室研究旨在完善“学生参与”的概念，目前“学生参与”没有区分积极参与和对学习材料的关注，这是有助于学习的两个重要但潜在不同的因素。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，这个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，对教育视频的注意力参与调节了学习，通过促进积极观看的干预可以增强注意力投入。这一假设激发了以下目标。目标1：测试将被动观看转变为主动观看以改善学习的干预措施：具体地说，利用现有的STEM教育短片确定能够改善注意力和学习的干预措施。干预措施将在一个在线平台上进行前瞻性测试，同时在网上和STEM大学生中招募参与者。目的2：解释视频的注意投入对学习的影响：具体地说，通过确定成功的积极观看干预措施的效果是否会影响注意投入和表现来检验基本假设。在招募STEM大学生的同时，将在远程实验中通过眼球跟踪和实验室中的脑电波来测量注意力。该项目还将测试认知特征和学习环境的影响。目标3：将STEM领域代表性不足的群体的学生纳入研究。具体地说，学生将协助研究眼球跟踪和脑电，以及视频材料的选择和测试题的设计。在这样做的过程中，这些学生研究人员将提供他们对远程学习挑战的独特视角。该项目由EHR核心研究(ECR)计划资助，该计划支持关于STEM学习和学习环境的基础研究，扩大对STEM的参与，以及STEM劳动力发展。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.