Innovating education with eye tracking classroom at Tongji University

At Tongji University’s Department of Landscape Studies, Associate Professor Zheng Chen is transforming how students explore the relationship between people and place. In the Human-Centered Landscape Analysis course, a collaboration with Tobii brought eye tracking technology into the classroom.

Using Tobii Pro Spark, students gained hands-on experience, developed practical skills, and applied human-centered insights to real-world landscape analysis. 

Bringing Tobii eye tracking classroom to Tongji 

Associate Professor Zheng Chen from the Department of Landscape Studies at Tongji University teaches the "Human-Centered Landscape Analysis" course to undergraduate students. This English-taught course aims to strengthen students' decision-making skills in landscape planning and design, with a focus on analyzing human interactions in both natural and architectural environments—exploring experience, perception, behavior, and their impact on health and well-being. 

Inspired by the Tobii eye tracking classroom initiative at Peking University, Associate Professor Zheng Chen introduced the Tobii eye tracking classroom to her class to enhance hands-on learning for her students. 

A holistic approach to teaching eye tracking  

Prof. Chen collaborated with Tobii experts to provide students with a well-rounded technical foundation and practical experience in eye tracking. First, Tobii China knowledge consultant Murphy Wang and senior engineer Annie Zhong introduced students to the essential concepts of eye tracking technology. Tobii behavioral research specialist Fredrick Chen delivered a featured lecture on innovative applications of eye tracking in commercial consulting, consumer behavior research, and online user experience. He also shared real-world case studies from Tobii Insight, Tobii’s consulting department, broadening students' perspectives on data applications beyond academic research.

During the conclusion report session, Tobii China knowledge team members Alex Liang and Murphy Wang joined Prof. Chen to review and discuss students’ final projects. The class explored eye tracking applications in infrastructure design and aesthetic experiences, while the Tobii experts provided technical guidance to refine students’ approaches. 

The continued value of eye tracking classroom  

Eye tracking provides students with direct insights into people's visual attention and behavioral patterns in specific environments, enabling them to evaluate landscape designs more effectively. When combined with other measurement techniques, such as surveys and interviews, eye tracking offers scientific support for multidimensional human-factor assessments, helping students understand the complex relationship between the environment and human behavior. 

Results in just two months 

In less than two months, students not only mastered eye tracking techniques, but also delivered innovative work — demonstrating the transformative power of Tobii Classroom in education.