Computer-based technology and student engagement: a critical review of the literature

Computer-based technology has infiltrated many aspects of life and industry, yet there is little understanding of how it can be used to promote student engagement, a concept receiving strong attention in higher education due to its association with a number of positive academic outcomes. The purpose of this article is to present a critical review of the literature from the past 5 years related to how web-conferencing software, blogs, wikis, social networking sites (Facebook and Twitter), and digital games influence student engagement. We prefaced the findings with a substantive overview of student engagement definitions and indicators, which revealed three types of engagement (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive) that informed how we classified articles. Our findings suggest that digital games provide the most far-reaching influence across different types of student engagement, followed by web-conferencing and Facebook. Findings regarding wikis, blogs, and Twitter are less conclusive and significantly limited in number of studies conducted within the past 5 years. Overall, the findings provide preliminary support that computer-based technology influences student engagement, however, additional research is needed to confirm and build on these findings. We conclude the article by providing a list of recommendations for practice, with the intent of increasing understanding of how computer-based technology may be purposefully implemented to achieve the greatest gains in student engagement. © 2017, The Author(s)

Mental imagery for brain-computer interface control and communication in non-responsive individuals

Background: People who survive severe brain damage may eventually develop a prolonged consciousness disorder. Others can regain full consciousness but remain unable to speak or move because of the severity of the lesions, as for those with locked-in syndrome (LIS). Brain-computer interface techniques can be useful to disentangle these states by detecting neurophysiological correlates of conscious processing of information to enable communication with these individuals after the diagnosis. Objective: The goal of our study was to evaluate with a user-centered design approach the usability of a mental imagery task to detect signs of voluntary information processing and enabling communication in a group of severely disabled individuals. Methods: Five individuals with LIS participated in the study. Participants were instructed to imagine hand, arm or feet movements during electroencephalography (EEG) to detect patterns of event-related synchronization/desynchronization associated with each task. After the user-centered design, usability was evaluated (i.e., efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction). Results: Two participants achieved significant levels of accuracy in 2 different tasks. The associated workload and levels of satisfaction perceived by the users were moderate and were mainly related to the time demand of the task. Conclusion: Results showed lack of effectiveness of the task to detect voluntary brain activity and thus detect consciousness or communicate with non-responsive individuals. The application must be modified to be sufficiently satisfying for the intended end-users and suggestions are made in this regard. © 2019 Elsevier Masson SA

Beyond the gaze: Communicating in chronic locked-in syndrome

OBJECTIVE Locked-in syndrome (LIS) usually follows a brainstem stroke and is characterized by paralysis of all voluntary muscles (except eyes' movements or blinking) and lack of speech with preserved consciousness. Several tools have been developed to promote communication with these patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the current status regarding communication in a cohort of LIS patients. DESIGN A survey was conducted in collaboration with the French Association of Locked-in syndrome (ALIS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS Two hundred and four patients, members of ALIS, were invited to fill in a questionnaire on communication issues and clinical evolution (recovery of verbal language and movements, presence of visual and/or auditory deficits). RESULTS Eighty-eight responses were processed. All respondents (35% female, mean age = 52 ± 12 years, mean time in LIS = 10 ± 6 years) reported using a yes/no communication code using mainly eyes' movements and 62% used assisting technology; 49% could communicate through verbal language and 73% have recovered some functional movements within the years. CONCLUSION The results highlight the possibility to recover non-eye dependent communication, speech production and some functional movement in the majority of chronic LIS patients

Locked-in syndrome in children: report of five cases and review of the literature

The locked-in syndrome is a rare neurologic disorder defined by (1) the presence of sustained eye opening; (2) preserved awareness; (3) aphonia or hypophonia; (4) quadriplegia or quadriparesis; and (5) a primary mode of communication that uses vertical or lateral eye movement or blinking. Five cases are reported here, and previous literature is reviewed. According to the literature, the most common etiology of locked-in syndrome in children is ventral pontine stroke, most frequently caused by a vertebrobasilar artery thrombosis or occlusion. In terms of prognosis, 35% of pediatric locked-in syndrome patients experienced some motor recovery, 26% had good recovery, 23% died, and 16% remained quadriplegic and anarthric. These findings raise important ethical considerations in terms of quality of life and end-of-life decisions in such challenging cases