Cognitive and Emotional States in a Technology-Mediated Drawing Process: An EEG Experiment on Students

Nowadays, learning processes in higher education are more mediated by different technologies, nevertheless it is not always known what happens to students ‘ cognitive and emotional states while interacting with technology. The synergy between drawing and technology has presently resulted in a significant evolution that encompasses practical tools, both analog and digital. This transformation has rendered the creative process, and it also represents an opportunity for researching, through the drawing process, how students experience contact with technology. This paper implies an inter and multidisciplinary approach to explore how technology and machines interact and modify students ‘ cognitive and emotional processes while drawing a self-portrait. In order to reach this aim, an experiment with 20 students from different programs from Tecnologico de Monterrey was performed. The 20 students were splitted into groups of 10. The Electroencephalography (EEG) was measured in both groups while each student was drawing a self-portrait. The differences between the two groups were: in the first one, students draw a self-portrait with the use of a tablet, and in the other, students draw a self-portrait while a drawing machine reproduced a self-version of the same drawing. An in-house made customized drawing machine was created for the experiment. The software was programmed step by step, so that the machine reinterpreted the drawing in real time. The programs were created using Arduino IDE for electronic control, and Processing for the drawing interface. The EEG was measured with Emotiv insight 2.0 device, and the analysis of both groups implied the measurement of specific cognitive and emotional variables: Performance Metrics (Attention, Engagement, Excitement, Stress, Relaxation, and Interest). The results indicated that 2 Performance Metrics variables, in both groups, had higher rates: Interest and Excitement.