Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Analysis of Interaction Techniques in Touchscreen-Based Educational Gaming

Educational games enhance learning experiences by integrating touchscreens, making interactions more engaging and intuitive for learners. However, the cognitive impacts of educational gameplay input modalities, such as the hand and stylus technique, are unclear. We compared the experience of using hands vs. a stylus for touchscreens while playing an educational game by analyzing oxygenated hemoglobin collected by functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and self-reported measures. In addition, we measured the hand vs. the stylus modalities of the task and calculated the relative neural efficiency and relative neural involvement using the mental demand and the quiz score. Our findings show that the hand condition had a significantly lower neural involvement, yet higher neural efficiency than the stylus condition. This result suggests the requirement of less cognitive effort while using the hand. Additionally, the self-reported measures show significant differences, and the results suggest that hand-based input is more intuitive, less cognitively demanding, and less frustrating. Conversely, the use of a stylus required higher cognitive effort due to the cognitive balance of controlling the pen and answering questions. These findings highlight the importance of designing educational games that allow learners to engage with the system while minimizing cognitive effort.