From Esports to the Classroom: Testing Cognitive and Educational Transfer Using EEG and Mixed Methods

Esports is increasingly positioned as a technology-rich learning environment that may support cognitive engagement, collaboration, and learning-related development. However, whether cognitively intensive gameplay translates into measurable educational outcomes remains unclear. This study examined educational transfer in a multiplayer online battle arena-based esports intervention by integrating EEG-based indicators, 21st-century learner skills, learning performance, and qualitative accounts. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used with 77 third-year undergraduate students aged 20–24 years with no prior esports experience, including 42 in the experimental group and 35 in the control group; the sample included 22 male and 55 female students. The eight-week intervention required at least 18 hours of League of Legends gameplay under a flexible schedule, with a two-hour daily cap and spreadsheet-based play-time logs. Quantitative data were collected through EEG-based measures of attention, working memory, and cognitive load, a 21st-century learner skills scale, and an academic achievement test; qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicated a significant general group difference in attention (p = .0075, η ² p = .091, 95% CI [0.709, 4.463]) and a significant time × group interaction for cognitive load (p = .001, η ² p = .139), suggesting increased task-related mental workload rather than cognitive improvement. However, no intervention-related improvement was observed for attention, and the initially significant working-memory pattern was not retained after controlling for baseline non-equivalence. Qualitative findings showed perceived value for strategic thinking, teamwork, communication, and leadership, but this did not consistently translate into learner-skill or learning-performance gains.