LONDON: Researchers have developed software that tracks eye movements to tell when a person's attention shifts from their task and can get them to focus on it again. Sidney D'Mello and Robert Bixler at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana developed the software that tracks a person's eye movements with a commercial eye tracker.

The system figures out if the person's mind is on the task by observing specific features in the way the eyes move, such as how long they fixate on words, where the eyes move next, their overall movement patterns and other contextual cues.

If the system thinks the user is no longer concentrating, it can pause the session, notify the reader or highlight the content, 'New Scientist' reported.

"This can lead to improved learning. For high stakes tasks such as military or aviation, this can prevent catastrophic disasters," D'Mello said.

The software could also be used to evaluate study materials on the basis of how well they engage students. The system will be presented at the User Modelling, Adaptation, and Personalization (UMAP) conference 2014 at Aalborg, Denmark, this week.

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