Understanding Student Engagement during an Experiential Learning Task Using Eye Tracking: A Case Study

With the increasing technological innovation, the application of technology to the STEM classroom for purposes of teaching and learning has gained importance. Research has demonstrated that many STEM concepts are abstract in nature, and students find it difficult to comprehend them fully during lectures. Therefore, using a simulated real-world environment to engage students in experiential learning can help them to learn and internalize the concepts better. In this pilot research case study, our aim was to study student engagement and cognitive load during a visual experiential learning task using eye-tracking, which is an established method of studying user engagement and cognitive load. Seven undergraduate students enrolled in an Engineering Technology course were taught the 5S framework, a Lean concept in a lecture, and then asked to analyze its real-world implementation at workplaces in a 2-part experiential learning activity, involving two pictures and a video of 5S transformation at different workplace settings. The students had to identify the changes implemented as part of 5S transformation and eye-tracking data was recorded while they performed the above analyses. Students also wrote a reflection on their learnings and completed an online survey upon completion of the activity. The study used a multi-method design to answer the following research questions: What were the engagement levels, emotions, and cognitive load experienced by the students when engaged in the visual experiential learning activity? What learning gains were reported by the students upon completion of the activity? The results of the study demonstrated that students experienced a higher level of positive emotion and low negative emotions while engaged in the learning activity. The overall cognitive load of the students was low as a whole, but results did indicate that students reported a high cognitive load for the ‘performance’ construct of the NASA TLX scale. The analysis of the ocular parameters obtained from the eye tracker indicated that students demonstrated the highest average fixation duration (indicator of engagement level) for the video component of the activity, followed by picture 1 and picture 2. Further, it was observed that average pupil dilation was highest for picture 1, followed by the video and picture 2. Lastly, the student reflections were qualitatively analyzed to determine the students' learning gains. The analysis revealed that students demonstrated metacognition, self-belief and acquired new knowledge as an outcome of this activity. Students also acknowledged that they acquired new knowledge by participating in the activity.Overall, the study results indicate that allowing students to participate in intentionally designed simulations can help students to understand the application of the concept in a real world-setting.

I. Introduction

Teaching STEM concepts can be complex due to their abstract nature [1]. It is important for instructors to help students understand the application of STEM concepts so that they can utilize the knowledge to make real-world decisions. Studies have illustrated that to make learning effective for STEM students, instructors need to implement innovative pedagogical practices such as project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and the use of novel technologies such as virtual reality, simulations, gaming, etc. [2], [3]. Combining active learning approaches with technological innovation will foster student engagement in the classroom [4]. Martin and Torres [5] defined student engagement as “the meaningful student involvement throughout the learning environment”. Meaningful involvement refers to the degree to which a student is psychologically and physically invested in the process of learning. Greater student engagement leads to better student performance [4]. Student engagement has also been identified as an important predictor of student retention and learning [6].