Doctoral Colloquium—Utilizing Electroencephalography, Eye Gaze, and Learner Analytics to Examine Student Engagement in a Virtual Reality Classroom

Abstract

The gradual shift to online modes of learning has been greatly observed, further accelerated due to the pandemic. As a result of this ongoing shift, understanding how students and instructors engage within online learning environments has emerged as a timely and important topic of investigation. Most prior research on student engagement relies heavily on self-report data, which poses several methodological and conceptual issues. Moreover, most studies on student engagement are conducted in an artificial lab setting which is far removed from the challenges encountered in real-world classrooms. Given these limitations, the proposed project, outlined in this Doctoral Colloquium paper, aims to integrate the use of an immersive virtual reality classroom environment and behavioral, eye gaze, and EEG data to investigate the engagement and learning of undergraduate students.