Zone out no more: Mitigating mind wandering during computerized reading

Mind wandering, defined as shifts in attention from task-related processing to task-unrelated thoughts, is a ubiquitous phenomenon that has a negative influence on performance and productivity in many contexts, including learning. We propose that next-generation learning technologies should have some mechanism to detect and respond to mind wandering in real-time. Towards this end, we developed a technology that automatically detects mind wandering from eye-gaze during learning from instructional texts. When mind wandering is detected, the technology intervenes by posing just-in-time questions and encouraging re-reading as needed. After multiple rounds of iterative refinement, we summatively compared the technology to a yoked-control in an experiment with 104 participants. The key dependent variable was performance on a post-reading comprehension assessment. Our results suggest that the technology was successful in correcting comprehension deficits attributed to mind wandering (d = .47 sigma) under specific conditions, thereby highlighting the potential to improve learning by “attending to attention.”