Towards an Online Continuous Adaptation Mechanism (OCAM) for Enhanced Engagement: An EEG Study

Individual preferences for learning environments can be linked to a specific behavior. The tendency of such behavior can somehow be associated with an individual's ability to cognitively engage in the learning process without being distracted by other stimuli. An online continuous adaptation mechanism (OCAM) of learning contents was developed in order to regulate the presentation of learning contents based on changes in the learner's aptitude level. This was claimed to stimulate a better cognitive and emotional response among learners, thus stimulating their engagement. A total of 41 students (36 male and 5 female; age 20-25 years) participated in this study. The results revealed that learners' levels of concentration and cognitive load were positively influenced by the OCAM, which significantly increased their engagement. Our findings can be used to inform designers and developers of online learning systems about the importance of regulating the presentation of learning contents according to the aptitude level of individual learners. The proposed OCAM can improve learners' ability to process specific information meaningfully and make the inferences necessary for understanding the learning content.