Differences in Brain Activation During Physics Problem Solving Across Students with Various Learning Progression: Electrophysiological Evidence Based on Detrended Fluctuation Analysis

Abstract

The Detrended Fluctuation Analysis is a widely used method for analysis of non-stationary time series which has been applied to EEG signals. However, few studies have applied this method to the assessment of cognitive abilities in healthy groups, especially in the context of science education. In this work, for the first time, the DFA method was applied to analyze the EEG time series during physics problem solving. We studied the DFA exponents on brain activation when individuals with different learning progression were solving the physics problems, as well as the relationship between DFA exponents and their performance. Statistical analysis reveals that, excellent groups with the best learning progression demonstrated the higher DFA exponents when compared the other two groups. Since DFA provides correlations between time series in EEG, the correlations are believed to be associated with model dynamical systems which reflect sustained cognitive operations. The results reflected that students in this group have developed the dynamic model systems of physics concepts. They can extract relevant knowledge more accurately and efficiently to build scientific models during problem-solving. The application of DFA method in physics education context may deepen our understanding of the neural basis of problem-solving ability and provide a promising indicator of learning achievement.