SKIN TEMPERETURE AS A POSSIBLE INDICATOR OF STUDENT’S INVOLVEMENT IN E-LEARNING SESSIONS

Objective evaluation of students’ condition in e-learning sessions is analyzed in this study by introducing skin temperature information. With limitations of the use of conventional static behavioral information in e-learning, e.g. progress logs and scores, a high demand on the quality assurance of course materials in e-learning is emphasized. In this study, the slightest change in the skin temperature of students who were engaged in e-learning materials was investigated, as past studies on stress have revealed that human behavioral change or coping style induced the change in the circulation of blood flowing, and which should resulted in the change in the skin temperature as well. In the experiment, the skin temperature of the students engaged in two contrasting e-learning exercises, i.e. interactive or non-interactive, were measured concurrently. As a result, the skin temperature showed significant decline when subjects were engaged in the interactive exercise, while there was no change in subjects engaged in the non-interactive exercise. The background knowledge and the results obtained through this study suggest that the decline in the skin temperature reflects the degree of concentration or involvement of the students. This in turn implies that the skin temperature can be a possible indicator of the student’s involvement in e-learning sessions.