Three studies examined the relationship between mental stress, anxiety, and physiological responses during learning tasks. One study had subjects complete arithmetic problems under time pressure while measuring heart rate, finding increased heart rate in response to perceived stress. Another studied had subjects read either the Quran or another book while measuring brain activity, finding more relaxed brain waves when reading the Quran. A third analyzed previous work showing correlations between academic success and changes in measures like blood pressure, heart rate, and skin humidity during learning tasks. Together these studies provide evidence that anxiety and stress can influence physiological responses in ways that hinder the learning process.

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"Exploring the Validity of Learning Styles as Personalization Parameters in ELearning Environments: An Eyetracking
Study.” 3
This study examined visual attention and the learning behavior of the user in an eLearning system. Each participant took
the Learning Style Questionnaire for assessing their learning styles (10). Participants were positioned at approximately
65cm from the computer screen. Following that, participants were given an overview of the experiment and then started
the session with a practice test on an eLearning module. The Tobii x120 eye-tracker was used to record eye movement
throughout the study. (175)
"Effects of Mental Stress on Cardiac and Motor Rhythms.” 10
This study displayed 3 arithmetic tasks, consisting of 10 questions each, for 40 seconds each, on a computer and asked
subjects to solve them. The next question was displayed once subject entered correct answer. 30 seconds before the tasks
began, subjects were given a tap order and then were allowed to tap at their own rhythm. Throughout experiment, the
heart rate was measured using an electrocardiograph and the fluctuations in tap pattern, due to stress, were measured
using an electric key switch.
“Heart Rate Variability in Mental Stress Aloud.” 12
Subjects were told to lie on their backs and rest, in order to slow their breathing. Then, they were given arithmetic
problems to evaluate for 5 minutes without talking. Once done, they were told if their answer was wrong or right.
Throughout the experiment, their heart rate was measured using an electrocardiogram.
"Analysis of Interdependencies Between Students’ Emotions, Learning Productivity, Academic Achievements and
Physiological Parameters.” 9
This study analysed previous experiments that resulted in a correlation of academic success, or learning productivity,
with changes in blood pressure, heart rate, skin humidity.
"Learning to Relax: Evaluating Four Brief Interventions for Overcoming the Negative Emotions Accompanying Math
Anxiety.” 5
Study suggested that identifying therapeutic ways to cope with stress would increase and sustain the amount of STEM
majors. Participants had some level of math anxiety. Breathing techniques and L-theanine supplements attempted to
alleviate anxiety. This study concluded that students with low-anxiety do better than students with high anxiety.
"Emotion and the Motivational Brain.” 8
Displayed series of images, neutral (people, computer), and motivational significance (gun, money) then changed color
on screen. Then the investigator asked the subject to press a button as quickly as possible for a certain time. Using the
EEG, this study found that how people respond to danger is representative in brain as an active limbic system and has
ancestral connections.
"Modeling Brain Activities during Reading Working Memory Task: Comparison between Reciting Quran and Reading
Book.” 7
This study uses the EEG to support the notion that Islamic religion (reading of Qu'ran) is good for handling stress. It
leads to state of a calm mind more than reading another book. The EEG depicted more alpha waves in the participants
instructed to the read the Qu’ran. Brain activity was measured before, during, and after participants read the Qu'ran or
other book.
Is it true that pulling an ‘all-nighter’ can prepare Dartmouth students for midterm and final exam?
Would some students would even say they learn better by staying up late with little to 4 hours of sleep a
night? In order to falsify this perception of learning that students have, I decided to embark on a journey
of questioning the foundation of human life: learning. From the time we are born, we are learning.
However, I believe as we grow older we forget the days of our youth. How did we learn the english
language as a young kid? How did we learn that 2+2=4? One thing consistent with children, is that they
are not afraid to fail. They will keep trying to build the tallest tower using spaghetti sticks, tape, string,
and one marshmallow, even if their first prototypes tumble.
The EEG and BCI are used to measure brain activity and translate neural activity into commands to
power a technological device.6 The most recently developed EEG Emotiv (EMOTIV, San Francisco,
CA) is not expensive, costing $800.1 However, it is somewhat defective in being able to distinguish
neuronal signals and muscle contractions in the face(cite article). More thoroughly defined, "Brain
Computer Interfaces (BCI) are communication systems where humans interact with external devices
using merely their brain activity”.4 Moreover, the eye-tracking device tracks the movement of a
subject’s eyes throughout a study. This device can be useful to make predictions on the type of learning
a subject affiliates him or herself with.3 Each of these tools, by themselves or alongside measurements
of heart rate, blood pressure, and/or skin humidity, were used in studies of learning.2-12
This project examines physiological studies on learning and anxiety. Moving from a broader question
of ‘What is Learning?’ to a more specific, scientific inquiry of ‘Anxiety and its Negative Correlations
with Learning Math’, I analyzed scholarly articles in hopes of discovering how to produce quantitative
data to measure stress and academic success. During my research investigation, many more questions
were raised: Is learning equated to academic success? There is a scientific consensus that increased
math anxiety distracts the learning process, thereby hindering effective learning. Some measurements
of anxiety are increased heart rate, skin humidity, and increased blood pressure. Studies to find
correlations between anxiety and behavioral changes, used engineering tools such as the eye-tracking
device, electroencephalograph (EEG), Brain Computer Interface (BCI), and the functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) .
Physiology of Learning in the Classroom
Ebony N. Smith2, Solomon G. Diamond1-2
Thayer School of Engineering1, Dartmouth College2
Sponsored by Sophomore Science Scholars
Introduction
Abstract
Background Information Future Work...
References
"Development BCI for Individuals with Severely Disability Using EMOTIV EEG Headset and Robot."
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