System and method for improving student learning by monitoring student cognitive state

• US 10,068,490 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Applied Science And Research, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quantum Applied Science And Research, Inc.
• Inventors: Hibbs, Andrew D., Soussou, Walid V., Jolly, Jason D., Fridman, Igor V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US14/912,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20160203726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

A system and method for improving student learning includes learning material that is presented to a student and a device that is used to acquire physiological data from the student in real time during a learning session. A cognitive assessment algorithm determines a cognitive state of the student using the physiological data, and a learning action algorithm modifies the presentation of the learning material in response to the student'"'"'s cognitive state. The learning material can include lectures, questions asked of the student or problems or activities being completed by the student. In one embodiment, the device directly measures the brain activity of the student to determine the student'"'"'s cognitive state. The cognitive state of the student can include the student'"'"'s cognitive load, engagement or fatigue.

Claims

1. A system for improving student learning comprising:

learning material having content for presentation to a student;

an EEG system configured to measure a cognitive load of the student as the learning material is presented in a learning session;

a device configured to measure physiological data of the student as the learning material is presented in the learning session, wherein the data includes at least three of a brain activity of the student, a measurement of the time it takes the student to read the material, a response time of the student to a request or question posed, a correctness of a response by the student, a total time the student has been engaged in learning, a position of gaze of the student and a posture of the student;

a cognitive assessment algorithm configured to determine a cognitive state of the student based on the cognitive load and the physiological data; and

a learning action algorithm configured to modify a continued presentation of the learning material in real time based on the cognitive state of the student.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to directly measure the brain activity of the student, with the data further including, in combination with the brain activity, the correctness of the response by the student and at least one of the measurement of the time it takes the student to read the material, the response time of the student to the request or question posed, the total time the student has been engaged in learning, the position of gaze of the student and the posture of the student.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the device includes an eye-tracking system and the data includes the position of gaze of the student during the presentation of material and at least one of the measurement of the time it takes the student to read the material, the response time of the student to the request or question posed, and the total time the student has been engaged in learning.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cognitive state is the student'"'"'s cognitive load or fatigue.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer system including a display for displaying the learning material to the student and an input device for receiving input from the student and wherein the cognitive state of the student is represented by a binary variable.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes each of the brain activity of the student, the correctness of the response by the student, the measurement of the time it takes the student to read the material, the response time of the student to the request or question posed, the total time the student has been engaged in learning, the position of gaze of the student and the posture of the student.

7. A method for improving student learning, the method comprising:

presenting learning material to a student;

measuring physiological data of the student with a device as the learning material is presented, wherein the data includes at least three of a brain activity of the student, a measurement of the time it takes the student to read the material, a response time of the student to a request or question posed, a correctness of a response by the student, a total time the student has been engaged in learning, a position of gaze of the student and a posture of the student;

determining a cognitive state of the student with a cognitive assessment algorithm that uses the physiological data; and

modifying a continued presentation of the learning material in real time with a learning action algorithm that uses the cognitive state of the student.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein presenting the learning material to the student includes lecturing the student;

asking the student questions;

or providing the student with problems or activities to complete.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein measuring the physiological data of the student includes directly measuring the brain activity of the student and one or more of the following:

ECG or HRV of the student; and

GSR of the student.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the cognitive state of the student includes determining the student'"'"'s cognitive load or fatigue.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the cognitive state of the student includes determining the student'"'"'s fatigue.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein modifying the presentation of the learning material includes:

changing the difficulty or interactivity of subsequent learning material;

changing the complexity or rate of delivery of the learning material;

changing a delivery style of the learning material;

allowing the student to choose additional or alternative learning material;

or

adding additional learning material, removing learning material, changing the order of the learning material or modifying the learning material.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein modifying the presentation of the learning material includes changing an interactivity of subsequent learning material.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein modifying the presentation of the learning material includes allowing the student to choose additional or alternative learning material.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein modifying the presentation of the learning material includes changing the order of the learning material.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein presenting the learning material to the student includes displaying the learning material on a display of a computer system, and wherein the method further comprises reducing the cognitive state of the student to a binary variable.

17. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

updating a model of the student that describes how the student learns.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the learning action algorithm also uses a quantification of a difficulty of the learning material in order to determine the cognitive state of the student.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein measuring the physiological data of the student includes the brain activity of the student, the correctness of the response by the student and at least one of the measurement of the time it takes the student to read the material, the response time of the student to the request or question posed, the total time the student has been engaged in learning, the position of gaze of the student and the posture of the student.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein measuring the physiological data of the student includes each of the brain activity of the student, the correctness of the response by the student, the measurement of the time it takes the student to read the material, the response time of the student to the request or question posed, the total time the student has been engaged in learning, the position of gaze of the student and the posture of the student.