The potential of the BCI for accessible and smart e-learning

The brain computer interface (BCI) should be the accessibility solution “par excellence” for interactive and e-learning systems. There is a substantial tradition of research on the human electro encephalogram (EEG) and on BCI
systems that are based, inter alia, on EEG measurement. We have not yet seen a viable BCI for e-learning. For many users for a BCI based interface is their first choice for good quality interaction, such as those with major psychomotor or cognitive impairments. However, there are many more for whom the BCI would be an attractive option given an acceptable learning overhead, including less severe disabilities and safety critical conditions where cognitive overload or limited responses are likely. Recent progress has been modest as there are many technical and accessibility problems to overcome. We present these issues and report a survey of fifty papers to capture the state-of-the-art in BCI and the implications for e-learning.