ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH VARIOUS CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

A critical component associated with communicating the scientific merits of climate change and its impacts is successfully engaging the audience with the information being delivered. Research efforts in psychology commonly utilize skin biosensors to monitor an individual’s level of engagement with respect to an array of activities, however often the data is not mathematically evaluated for the subject’s motion while wearing the device. This research presents a new algorithm to interpret the biosensor data in order to more accurately utilize the hand biosensors for diverse educational purposes. Furthermore, this research is focusing on using the skin biosensors to monitor student engagement with various educational activities aimed to effectively communicate and educate the public about climate change. Skin biosensor data, as well as qualitative measures of student engagement, will be discussed from multiple types of climate change media: typical classroom lectures and discussion, climate change-related movies, and a climate change video game. Evaluation of the overall engagement associated with each type of communication pathway will inform formal and informal climate change education efforts.