Investigating the Relationship Between Situational Awareness and Cognitive Load in a Mixed Reality Learning Environment for Construction Education

The recent rise in the adoption of sensing technologies, such as laser scanners and drones for improving efficiency, safety, and productivity, has driven the need for a technically skilled workforce prepared to implement these technologies. Academia is also inclined to meet this need, but is often impaired by the high cost of sensing technologies and the need for hands-on experiences. Mixed Reality (MR) has been explored as an alternative learning environment to equip construction students with the needed technical skills due to its potential to provide experiential learning. However, to advance the adoption of MR as an alternative learning environment, concerns persist regarding the safety risks and potential distractions posed by reduced situational awareness (SA) during interactions. While studies have explored SA in various domains, its assessment within MR environments for construction education remains unexplored. This study addresses that gap by evaluating participants’ SA and cognitive load while interacting with sensing technologies in an MR learning environment. Nineteen undergraduate students participated in MR-based tasks. Their SA and cognitive load were assessed using the Situational Awareness Rating Technique (SART), NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and eye-tracking metrics. Results showed that participants generally had a strong awareness of their surroundings, reflected in high familiarity and the ability to process relevant information during MR tasks. The findings also indicate that participants with lower SA exhibited longer fixation durations, while those with higher SA showed shorter fixation durations. Additionally, individuals with lower SA experienced greater cognitive load and demonstrated more extensive visual scanning (e.g., higher fixation count). These findings not only align with cognitive load theory and prior eye-tracking research but also offer practical recommendations for MR instructional design. This study contributes to the development of virtual learning environments cognizant of users' SA, which often culminates in reduced cognitive overload, enhanced student learning, improved attention, and engagement.