Deployment and Dynamics of a Biofeedback System for Anxiety Awareness during Online Examination Activities

• Main Authors: Hippokratis Apostolidis, Georgia Papantoniou, Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• Series: Applied Sciences
• Subjects: technology readiness; academic performance; biofeedback in learning; student state anxiety
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/2/756

The presented paper examines the deployment of a cost-effective biofeedback system that provides anxiety awareness during online examination activities. Human anxiety is classified by evaluating biosignals related to skin conductance, skin temperature, and heart rate. The first aim of this study is to check the presented system performance. Thus, we test the convergent validity of the system regarding self-report measures of anxiety. Moreover, the system is validated against a commercial tool of anxiety detection. Fifteen (15) postgraduate students took part in the relevant psychometric test. The convergent validity of the system is found to be satisfactory. The second aim of this study is to identify the participant’s personality dimensions according to Technology Readiness Index (TRI) which affects their academic performance and their real-time anxiety, as provided by the biofeedback device, during academic examinations. Thirty-five (35) postgraduate students, who were taking examinations in the form of synchronous online tests in the classroom for one of their lessons, took part in this stage of the research. The examined relationships are presented via a path model showing mainly that insecurity causes academic performance to decline, which in turn has a significant negative effect with increasing anxiety.