EXPLORING THE APPLICATIONS OF EYE TRACKING AND SKIN BIOSENSORS IN GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION (Invited Presentation)

The field of Geoscience Education Research (GER) has been richly enhanced by methods traditionally used in the learning sciences, psychology, and science education. Specifically, the use of eye-tracking, and skin biosensors have recently afforded geoscience education researchers the opportunity to study people’s physiological responses while engaging with multiple representations and/or problem solving activities in the geosciences. Eye-tracking is the process of measuring eye-position and movements and therefore can be used to determine the path the eye takes, the gaze, and the fixation time to indicate salient features of a representation. Pupillometry is a sub-set of eye tracking portfolio and measures eye-dilation, as such, it can be utilized to determine the cognitive loading of viewers. These applications are often utilized for expert/novice comparisons, A/B comparisons, and/or usability studies. Skin biosensors or galvanic skin response measures skin conductance of the wearer and is related to emotional engagement during a given task. In this presentation we will provide general information on each of the highlighted applications, describe the type of studies that are appropriate for utilizing these tools, and the advantages and limitations of each. We will also present case studies of research we have completed that have used these tools in the geosciences, in both formal and informal, and lab and classroom settings. We will also discuss possible future research directions using these tools in GER.