There is no longer any use of acting in this technique: around 10,000 students in China have worn headbands measuring the activity of their brains during a large-scale test in the classroom. The scientific journal "New Scientist" reports.
The teachers could therefore see on an app the average attention span of their students. In addition, different colored lights on the EEG headbands indicated whether the students were focused on the matter - or lost in daydreams.
The technology is reportedly from the Massachusetts based in the US company BrainCo. Its founder, Bicheng Han, said the device helps teachers recognize which students needed special support.
Alleged promotion of concentration
The 10 to 17-year-olds taking the test also had to play a specific mobile game 25 minutes a day at home. That should increase their ability to concentrate.
"After a few laps, they learn how to stay focused," Han told the New Scientist. The more they concentrated, the farther they progressed in the game. According to Han, the study participants have improved their grades by ten percent. Besides, they would have needed less time for their homework.
Ethical and scientific concerns
In addition to ethical concerns about student monitoring, scientists also question the validity of the data. According to the report, the attention can not be accurately determined by the brain waves. Even an improvement in performance can not be proven. This is often a placebo effect.
Brian Anderson of Texas A & M University added another point of criticism: "What if the students are very smart so they do not need so much attention to understand?" These students would then have a special need for support from the teachers' point of view.