Eye tracking in cytotechnology education: “visualizing” students becoming experts

This study reports the potential of eye-tracking technology in determining screening skills of cytotechnology (CT) students while examining digital images (DI).

Materials and methods

Twenty-five static DI of gynecologic cytology specimens were serially displayed on a computer monitor for evaluation by 16 CT students and 3 cytotechnologists at 3 locations. During evaluation, participant’s eye movements were monitored with a Mirametrix S2 eye tracker (iMotions, Boston, MA) and EyeWorks software (Eyetracking, Solana Beach, CA). Students completed the protocol at: Period1 (P1)—4 months, Period2 (P2)—7 months, Period3 (P3)—11 months during their 1-year training; and the cytotechnologists only once. A general linear mixed model was used to analyze the results.