Tracking Attention in Scientific Texts: Insights from Adult Learners

How Do Adults Engage with Scientific Texts Online?

That’s the question a study by Elizabeth Wianto, Hapnes Toba, and Maya Malinda from Universitas Kristen Maranatha (2025) set out to answer - using RealEye! The research focused on how adult learners (those returning to education after a gap year) interact with digital scientific materials like journal articles and posters. It aimed to discover how layout design affects their reading experience, and how educators can make content more accessible for this group.

The key to the study? Eye-tracking :-)

The Role of RealEye

Researchers used RealEye to measure how participants viewed scientific documents presented on a standard 19-inch monitor. By tracking where and how long participants looked at specific Areas of Interest (AOIs), RealEye provided data on attention and engagement.

Calibration and quality control were built into the process to ensure accuracy. The experiment was hosted online, allowing for broad participation.

The Study Design

Over 100 participants took part, split into two groups:

• Adult learners, who had returned to higher education after a break
• Regular students, currently enrolled undergraduates

Each participant viewed eight digital layouts - ranging from one- and two-column journal pages to scientific posters. Every layout included predefined Areas of Interest (AoIs), such as abstracts, keywords, or tables. Participants were given 15 seconds per layout to locate and understand important information.

The researchers measured three key eye-tracking metrics:

• Time to First Fixation (TTFF) – How quickly the participant noticed an AoI
• First Fixation Duration (FFD) – How long they focused on the AoI on their first glance
• Time Spent (TS) – Total time spent looking at the AoI

What the Data Revealed

Researchers uncovered clear behavioural trends:

1. Language Familiarity Matters
   Adult learners were more engaged with content written in their first language. When abstracts were presented side-by-side in English and Indonesian, participants overwhelmingly focused on the Indonesian version.
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2. Layout Influences Engagement
   Two-column layouts helped learners find key content more quickly than single-column ones. Narrower columns in particular made scanning easier.
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3. Posters Work Best with Central Focus
   In poster layouts, learners naturally fixated on centrally positioned content. RealEye heatmaps confirmed that the middle of a poster draws more consistent attention than corners or edges.
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4. Instruction Helps Improve Performance
   Adult learners showed significantly better focus and efficiency in post-test sessions after receiving brief instructions.
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5. Fixation Patterns Are Predictable
   Eye-tracking showed that learners often look for structure: they expect abstracts and keywords at the top or in the middle, and they spend more time reading when this expectation is met.

Why This Matters

This study demonstrates how RealEye supports meaningful educational research by revealing how different learner groups process information. With eye-tracking, researchers could move beyond guesswork and gather behavioural data on user engagement. For educators, the findings are clear:

• Use native language content when possible
• Design layouts with clear, predictable structure
• Place key information where learners naturally look
• Offer guidance - especially for returning students

Final Thoughts

This is a prime example of how RealEye goes beyond traditional UX testing. Whether you’re designing learning materials or evaluating content accessibility, eye-tracking gives you the tools to make informed decisions based on how people actually see and interact with content.

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You can run a similar study!

Follow the steps below to start your own experiment with RealEye:

1. Go to RealEye Dashboard and create or log in to your account.
2. Purchase the License of your choice (https://www.realeye.io/pricing). If you need any custom adjustments, contact us at contact@realeye.io. We are happy to help!
3. Activate your license by following the instructions in the RealEye License Activation Guide

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‍Ready to set up your own study? Visit RealEye Support page to learn more and keep us posted on your results! 🚀