The focus and timing of gaze matters : Investigating collaborative knowledge construction in a simulation-based environment by combined video and eye tracking

Abstract
Although eye tracking has been successfully used in science education research, exploiting its potential in collaborative knowledge construction has remained sporadic. This article presents a novel approach for studying collaborative knowledge construction in a simulation-based environment by combining both the spatial and temporal dimensions of eye-tracking data with video data. For this purpose, we have investigated two undergraduate physics student pairs solving an electrostatics problem in a simulation-based environment via Zoom. The analysis of the video data of the students’ conversations focused on the different collaborative knowledge construction levels (new idea, explication, evaluation, and non-content-related talk and silent moments), along with the temporal visualizations of the collaborative knowledge construction processes. The eye-tracking data of the students’ gaze, as analyzed by epistemic network analysis, focused on the pairs’ spatial and temporal gaze behavior. We illustrate how gaze behavior can shed light on collaborative knowledge construction in terms of the quantity of the talk (e.g., gaze behavior can shed light on the different activities of the pairs during the silent moments), quality of the talk (e.g., gaze behavior can shed light on the different approaches when constructing knowledge on physical phenomena), and temporality of collaborative knowledge construction processes [e.g., gaze behavior can shed light on (the lack of) attempts to acquire the supporting or contrasting evidence on the initial ideas on the physical phenomena]. We also discuss the possibilities and limitations of gaze behavior to reveal the critical moments in the collaborative knowledge construction processes.
Main Authors
Format
Articles Research article
Published
2022
Series
Subjects
Publication in research information system
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
The permanent address of the publication
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202211025061Käytä tätä linkitykseen.
Review status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2504-284X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.942224
Language
English
Published in
Frontiers in Education
Citation
  • Lämsä, J., Kotkajuuri, J., Lehtinen, A., Koskinen, P., Mäntylä, T., Kilpeläinen, J., & Hämäläinen, R. (2022). The focus and timing of gaze matters : Investigating collaborative knowledge construction in a simulation-based environment by combined video and eye tracking. Frontiers in Education, 7, Article 942224. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.942224
License
CC BY 4.0Open Access
Funder(s)
Research Council of Finland
Funding program(s)
Research profiles, AoF
Profilointi, SA
Research Council of Finland
Additional information about funding
This research was funded by the Academy of Finland (grant number 318905, the Multidisciplinary Research on Learning and Teaching profiles II of the University of Jyväskylä).
Copyright© 2022 Lämsä, Kotkajuuri, Lehtinen, Koskinen, Mäntylä, Kilpeläinen and Hämäläinen.

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