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<p>Civic education is a core component of the university curriculum, designed to shape students’ values and civic literacy. Its abstract and theoretical nature makes it difficult to sustain student attention, limiting instructional effectiveness under conventional approaches. To explore innovative, evidence-informed teaching strategies, this study used electroencephalography (EEG) to empirically examine the impact of animated micro-lectures on civic education outcomes. Sixty second-year undergraduate students majoring in Chinese Language and Literature at a university in Western China participated in the study. The instructional content centered on the theme “Ideals, Beliefs, and Civic Responsibility.” We developed a multidimensional evaluation framework that integrated real-time EEG-based attention monitoring, standardized achievement tests, and validated questionnaires assessing learning interest and perceived acceptability. Three quasi-experimental designs were conducted to compare: (1) animated micro-lectures versus recorded video micro-lectures, and (2) the differential effects of specific design features —namely, textual elements (e.g., color highlighting, subtitle presence/absence) and visual elements (e.g., inclusion of animated characters, background type). Results showed that animated micro-lectures achieved significantly better teaching effects than recorded video micro-lectures: attention levels increased by 16.6%, learning achievement scores improved by 17.2%, and students reported markedly higher levels of learning interest and instructional acceptability. With respect to textual design, color highlighting significantly enhanced attention allocation, whereas the presence of subtitles had no significant effect on either attention or learning performance. Regarding visual design, incorporating animated characters showed a non-significant trend toward increased attention, while the background type had no statistically significant effect. Overall, these findings indicate that scientifically designed animated micro-lectures based on cognitive principles can substantially enhance the efficacy of civic education instruction. The study thus provides multi-method, empirically derived evidence grounded in EEG-based measures of attention and behavioral data, along with concrete, actionable design principles to support pedagogical reform in value-oriented courses in higher education.</p>

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Efficacy testing and design strategies for animated micro-lectures in civic education: an empirical study based on EEG data

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月6日

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  • Mingzhao He,
  • Chengzheng Li,
  • Xueqiang Jiang,
  • Lei Cao

摘要

Civic education is a core component of the university curriculum, designed to shape students’ values and civic literacy. Its abstract and theoretical nature makes it difficult to sustain student attention, limiting instructional effectiveness under conventional approaches. To explore innovative, evidence-informed teaching strategies, this study used electroencephalography (EEG) to empirically examine the impact of animated micro-lectures on civic education outcomes. Sixty second-year undergraduate students majoring in Chinese Language and Literature at a university in Western China participated in the study. The instructional content centered on the theme “Ideals, Beliefs, and Civic Responsibility.” We developed a multidimensional evaluation framework that integrated real-time EEG-based attention monitoring, standardized achievement tests, and validated questionnaires assessing learning interest and perceived acceptability. Three quasi-experimental designs were conducted to compare: (1) animated micro-lectures versus recorded video micro-lectures, and (2) the differential effects of specific design features —namely, textual elements (e.g., color highlighting, subtitle presence/absence) and visual elements (e.g., inclusion of animated characters, background type). Results showed that animated micro-lectures achieved significantly better teaching effects than recorded video micro-lectures: attention levels increased by 16.6%, learning achievement scores improved by 17.2%, and students reported markedly higher levels of learning interest and instructional acceptability. With respect to textual design, color highlighting significantly enhanced attention allocation, whereas the presence of subtitles had no significant effect on either attention or learning performance. Regarding visual design, incorporating animated characters showed a non-significant trend toward increased attention, while the background type had no statistically significant effect. Overall, these findings indicate that scientifically designed animated micro-lectures based on cognitive principles can substantially enhance the efficacy of civic education instruction. The study thus provides multi-method, empirically derived evidence grounded in EEG-based measures of attention and behavioral data, along with concrete, actionable design principles to support pedagogical reform in value-oriented courses in higher education.