Utilizing Electroencephalography Measurements for Comparison of Task-Specific Neural Efficiencies: Spatial Intelligence Tasks

Abstract

Spatial intelligence is often linked to success in engineering education and engineering professions. The use of electroencephalography enables comparative calculation of individuals' neural efficiency as they perform successive tasks requiring spatial ability to derive solutions. Neural efficiency here is defined as having less beta activation, and therefore expending fewer neural resources, to perform a task in comparison to other groups or other tasks. For inter-task comparisons of tasks with similar durations, these measurements may enable a comparison of task type difficulty. For intra-participant and inter-participant comparisons, these measurements provide potential insight into the participant's level of spatial ability and different engineering problem solving tasks. Performance on the selected tasks can be analyzed and correlated with beta activities. This work presents a detailed research protocol studying the neural efficiency of students engaged in the solving of typical spatial ability and Statics problems. Students completed problems specific to the Mental Cutting Test (MCT), Purdue Spatial Visualization test of Rotations (PSVT:R), and Statics. While engaged in solving these problems, participants' brain waves were measured with EEG allowing data to be collected regarding alpha and beta brain wave activation and use. The work looks to correlate functional performance on pure spatial tasks with spatially intensive engineering tasks to identify the pathways to successful performance in engineering and the resulting improvements in engineering education that may follow.

A Multimodal Exploration of Engineering Students' Emotions and Electrodermal Activity in Design Activities

“…Similarly, Villanueva and colleagues have explored EDA and emotions during engineering exams in a statics course (Villanueva, ; Villanueva, Call, & Goodridge, ; Vallanueva, Valladares, & Goodridge, ). Approximately 20 sophomore engineering students were asked to complete an emotions self‐report while being tested on problems based on cutting planes and spatial ability (Call, Goodridge, Villanueva, Wan, & Jordan, ; Ruesch et al, ; Villanueva et al, ; Villanueva, Call, & Goodridge, ) as they wore EDA sensors and encephalography (EEG) monitors in a laboratory setting. The preliminary findings suggested that the order of test problems may influence the activation of students' prefrontal cortex and EDA arousal (Call et al, ; Ruesch et al, ; Villanueva et al, ), a response which paralleled changes in negative emotions (e.g., pride; unpublished findings, Villanueva et al, ).…”

“…Approximately 20 sophomore engineering students were asked to complete an emotions self‐report while being tested on problems based on cutting planes and spatial ability (Call, Goodridge, Villanueva, Wan, & Jordan, ; Ruesch et al, ; Villanueva et al, ; Villanueva, Call, & Goodridge, ) as they wore EDA sensors and encephalography (EEG) monitors in a laboratory setting. The preliminary findings suggested that the order of test problems may influence the activation of students' prefrontal cortex and EDA arousal (Call et al, ; Ruesch et al, ; Villanueva et al, ), a response which paralleled changes in negative emotions (e.g., pride; unpublished findings, Villanueva et al, ). Similar to Harley et al’s () work, Villanueva and colleagues found limited variance recorded by the EDA sensor as well as the EEG monitor, confirming the need to conduct multi‐modal studies under less experimentally controlled scenarios.…”

An Initial Exploration of Engineering Students’ Emotive Responses to Spatial and Engineering Statics Problems

“…Villanueva and colleagues have reported using self-reports with electrodermal activity sensors [19], [20] while Goodridge, Call, and colleagues have used electroencephalogram monitors [21], [22] to study performance in an engineering statics course. Each study has developed methods to identify how the type of exam problem could influence the activation of students' pre-frontal cortex and EDA arousal [19]- [22], which influence student performance and learning of different engineering problems.…”

“…Following protocols established by Villanueva and colleagues [19], [20] and Goodridge, Call, and colleagues [21], [22], participants were asked to wear a sports band on their non-dominant wrist one hour before the study started and to not consume (e.g., caffeine) or wear (e.g., hair spray, hair gel, topical medications) any products that may have interfered with the readings. The sports band allowed for accumulation of baseline sweat formation in order for the sensor to collect skin conductance readings [19].…”

“…Students were provided with blank sheets of paper and were asked to bring their graphing calculators and pencils as they solved the Statics problem-sets. The electroencephalogram monitor was placed on the participants' heads and was linked to the E-Prime program following procedures illustrated by Call et al, [21]. Events indicated by the E-Prime timestamps were identified in the EDA and video records during post-processing.…”