Influence of EEG-based functional connectivity and inhibitory control on educational web search performance among adolescents

Abstract

Introduction. Digital technologies have become an essential aspect of modern life, necessitating research into their effects on children’s learning processes. Additionally, it is crucial to investigate other factors that impact the successful completion of educational tasks. Brain functional connectivity has been shown to correlate with intellectual abilities and the quality of cognitive task performance. Furthermore, changes in connectivity patterns are associated with learning processes within the brain. Despite this, there is a paucity of research examining functional connectivity metrics in the context of children’s learning. Inhibitory control is another critical parameter that significantly influences learning outcomes. Therefore, this study investigates whether the performance of an educational task utilizing web search is associated with various functional connectivity metrics and inhibitory control. Materials and Methods. Fifty children participated in the study. EEG was recorded at rest with eyes closed to determine the metrics of functional connectivity in the EEG sensor space. The following connectivity metrics were used for further analysis: global efficiency, modularity, and assortativity. The ReBOS method (E. G. Vergunov) was used to study inhibitory control. Statistical processing was performed using the Python programming language, and the data were analyzed using binary logistic regression and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. Results. The variable of web information search related to an educational task is influenced by the number of web links used by the participants, the average reaction time during the inhibitory control task, and the modularity metric of functional connectivity in the EEG sensor space. The greater the number of web links a child uses when searching for educational information, the shorter their reaction time during the inhibitory control task, and the higher their modularity index, the more likely they are to successfully find an answer to the educational task. Conclusion. The success of educational web search depends on the level of inhibitory control and the characteristics of EEG functional connectivity.

Keywords

• digital technologies
• functional connectivity
• inhibitory control
• EEG
• children's learning
• web search