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Eye Tracking: How Experience is Key in Becoming an Expert

Eye Tracking: How Experience is Key in Becoming an Expert By now you’ve probably noticed that much of what we write about here at Eye Tracking Update has to do with usability testing. The fact of the matter is, eye tracking is effective and popular when it comes to usability testing, and many studies published that utilize this technology have to do with web design, click rates, and layout. As interesting and relevant as usability testing is to the eye tracking industry, we enjoy seeing eye tracking technology used in other innovative ways. We’ve written about a number of intriguing and unique applications for eye tracking. We came across an article on the Scientific American’s website about a group you don’t commonly see using eye tracking – geologists.

Scientists have been using eye tracking to investigate how geologists view landscapes – what they see, where they look, and what various formations catch their eye, which lead to unique discoveries or insights while in the field. The real question here is not what just any geologists are doing, however, it’s what experts are doing. Glasses equipped with infra red light and cameras to capture eye motion and gaze location were employed during a field study in Death Valley, California. A dozen or so students and expert scientists set out across the desert to observe the various rock formations. Researchers aimed to see how the subjects’ eyes darted across the scene in an effort to determine how experienced minds, those of the experts, unconsciously scan the world for clues – clues that point to discoveries.

“We know a lot about how to educate people on facts, but we know almost nothing about how to educate people on acquiring perceptual skills other than lots of repetition, which can be very time-consuming and expensive,” said Robert Jacobs, a cognitive scientist at the University of Rochester in the Scientific American’s article. “It would be great to develop more effective training procedures.”

Of course, experience comes with, well… experience. And perhaps there aren’t shortcuts when it comes to wisdom learned over time. But it’s certainly worth a look and it seems like an interesting endeavor. Who knows, perhaps some light can be shed on the learning process itself and how a novice gains experience and knowledge. Some think it takes thousands of hours to become an expert, but perhaps there’s a shortcut or two that can be learned from someone who already has put in the time. Maybe it’s an unconscious movement or habit that an expert routinely employs, something they’re unaware of and couldn’t otherwise be taught.

It’s a good article and great to see new ways in which eye tracking is being used – have a look:

Can People Become Experts without the Experience?

Eye Tracking: How Experience is Key in Becoming an Expert

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