Mobile EEG in Education & Language Learning: A Scoping Review

Yang, Jincai; Neville, Craig; Ní Riordáin, Máire · 2025 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1344/joned.v6i1.50324

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Summary

This scoping review examines the application of mobile electroencephalography (mEEG) in educational contexts, specifically addressing the gap between controlled laboratory studies and naturalistic classroom environments. The authors were motivated by the limitations of traditional behavioral and self-report methods, which often fail to capture the dynamic, real-time cognitive processes involved in learning. By leveraging mEEG’s portability and non-invasive nature, the study aims to understand how this technology can provide ecologically valid insights into student engagement, attention, memory, and cognitive load. The review specifically highlights the underexplored potential of mEEG in language education, where interactive and socially dynamic learning processes are difficult to replicate in lab settings. The methodology followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. The authors searched four databases—ScienceDirect, Scopus, Language and Cognition, and Google Scholar—for peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2025. Search terms combined keywords related to mobile or portable EEG with education, classroom, and language learning. From an initial pool of 223 records, 50 duplicates were removed, and 150 irrelevant records were excluded based on title and abstract screening. This process resulted in 23 eligible studies for final review, which were analyzed to identify trends in mEEG technology, disciplinary applications, and methodological advantages and challenges. The findings indicate that mEEG has been predominantly applied to investigate student engagement and brain-to-brain synchrony in secondary and higher education settings. Technological advancements, such as wireless systems and transparent ear-centered electrodes (cEEGrids), have improved portability and motion tolerance, allowing for data collection during interactive activities. However, the use of mEEG in language learning remains limited compared to other domains like sports or marketing. The review identifies significant advantages, including enhanced ecological validity and the ability to monitor real-time cognitive fluctuations. Conversely, substantial challenges persist, including data reliability issues due to motion artifacts, the complexity of signal processing, ethical concerns regarding privacy, and the physical discomfort of some devices. The significance of this review lies in its advocacy for expanding mEEG research into diverse and authentic educational settings, particularly multilingual and instructed language learning contexts. The authors conclude that while mEEG offers a promising bridge between neuroscience and pedagogy, further longitudinal research is required to validate its utility and address methodological limitations. By moving beyond controlled environments, mEEG can provide empirical data on real-world cognitive engagement, potentially informing more effective teaching strategies and improving educational outcomes. The study underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to refine mEEG methodologies and ensure ethical standards in future neuroeducational research.

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• neuro workload indices