Mental workload factors and quality characteristics of a blended learning system in special needs education

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25381291
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Special needs education
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Kumai Masayuki 東北大学, 大学院教育情報学研究部, 教授 (60344644)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): WATABE SHINICHI 東北大学, 大学院教育情報学研究部, 教授 (50210969) ; NAKAJIMA TAIRA 東北大学, 大学院教育情報学研究部, 准教授 (30312614) ; HASHIMOTO YOSUKE 函館大谷短期大学, こども学科, 助教 (20712855) ; MATSUURA JUN 青森中央短期大学, 幼児保育学科, 講師 (50612462)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ブレンディドラーニング / ワークロード / 品質特性 / 特別支援教育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We conducted experiments and behavior observations of normally developing students and students with special needs in education to investigate the mental workload factors and quality characteristics (understandability, efficiency, effectiveness, satisfaction) of a blended learning system. We also measured students’ eye movements while a blended learning system was in use, and then compared eye movements of normally developing students and students with special needs. In some situations of using a blended learning system, eye movement patterns that occur when a user experiences uncertainty or difficulty were observed. The results suggest that the workload for students with special needs was heavier than that for normally developing students in such situations, and the problem of understandability in the blended learning system was one factor in the mental workload. Furthermore, we showed a concrete example of a method for decreasing the mental workload of students with special needs.

Free Research Field

教育情報学