Improving Online Instructional Design using Memory, Attention, and Engagement

Abstract

Neuroscience research supports a relationship between the psychological constructions of attention and engagement. The level of selective attention and engagement present during the learning process correlates with increased memory and recall. With the recent rise in online learning, new questions regarding the improvement of educational design, teaching techniques, and learning have created a new avenue of investigation within the field of Neuroeducation. The objective of this study is to identify whether attentional brain networks related to Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction and engagement can predict learning in an online setting by using fMRI and behavioral techniques. Overall, we found fMRI evidence of engagement, verified engagement’s role in memory and retrieval, and identified three Gagné events (Events 5, 6 and 7) that increase learning among students. This investigation allows for further advancements in online educational design as it will provide instructors with guidance on how to properly build their curriculum and modify the content structure of online classes to highlight techniques that promote successful learning.