Explore College Students\' Cognitive Processing during Scientific Literacy Online Assessments with the use of Eye Tracking Technology

Abstract

The present study was to explore undergraduate students\' performance and eye movement between two groups (non-science major and science major) on online scientific literacy assessments. The domain of scientific literacy in assessments consisted of identifying scientific questions, explaining phenomena scientifically, and using evidence scientifically. Eye-tracking system was synchronized to collect the indicator data of eye movement while students were engaging in cognitive processing during the assessments. The results showed that the science group students outperformed significantly than their peers in the non-science group on the assessments. Eye movement data further supported that the science group students allocated greater attention and made deeper cognitive processing at area of interest (AOI) on critical web pages compared to the non-science group ones. This study provides empirical evidence that the eye movement behaviors can give an insight into the information processing during scientific literacy online assessments.