Exploring dynamics in learners’ cognitive engagement associated with learning activities using EEG microstate approach

Understanding the cognitive engagement of learners is essential for the cultivation of higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) as it reflects their thinking development process. However, it is unclear how cognitive engagement is temporally modulated by different types of learning activity. The electroencephalogram (EEG) microstate provides a methodology for understanding the complex dynamic processes of the brain and reflects the functional significance of cognitive activity. In this study, we designed three different types of learning activities (i.e., video-watching, keyword-extracting, and essay-creating) based on the Interactive-Constructive-Active-Passive (ICAP) framework. EEG data from thirty-one students were collected during the engagement of these activities. Four typical microstates (i.e., MS A, MS B, MS C, and MS D) were employed to explore the dynamic characteristics of cognitive engagement in the brain associated with activity type and learning stage. We found that the features of MS A, MS B, and MS C were significantly different among the three activities. Meanwhile, we performed individual analyses for the pre-activity, mid-activity, and post-activity of each activity. The features of MS A, MS B, and MS C were different during the video-watching activity, and MS C and MS D showed differences during the keyword-extracting activity. However, no significant difference was found during the essay-creating activity. These findings reveal that microstate features can provide information about neural activity patterns with the dynamic temporal structure for exploring changes in learners’ cognitive engagement. Such dynamic changes rely on learning activity and corresponding functional brain systems. Furthermore, this study provides cognitive neuroscience support for teacher educators to design effective learning activities to promote the development of HOTS.