Biofeedback Applications in Education

Biofeedback is a process that uses technology to measure and feed back information about a person’s physiology so that they can learn how to gain increased control over it.  It is used clinically in healthcare settings by licensed mental or physical medicine professionals including psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, physical therapists, chiropractors, nurses, occupational therapists, and rehab therapists.  It can also be used in educational settings.

Here is a list of biofeedback equipment modalities and what they measure:

Surface EMG (Electromyography) – Action potentials produced when muscles contract.

Skin Temperature – Temperature increases when blood vessels dilate with relaxation and decreases when blood vessels constrict in response to stress.

Skin Conductance – Increases when sweat increases on the hands in response to emotional reaction.

Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability – Changes with changes in the autonomic nervous system.  It is related to vagal tone and can be affected by emotional state and breathing as well as physical activity

Respiration – Measures depth, mechanics, and rate of breathing.

Capnometer – Measures the amount of CO2 in the air that is exhaled through the nostrils into two tubes connected to an instrument.

EEG (Electroencephalograph) – Measures action potentials produced when neurons in the brain fire as part of their communication and function.

I will briefly discuss a few ways that biofeedback equipment can be used in K-12 schools as well as colleges and universities.

Science exploration – Educators can use biofeedback equipment to teach students about the various signals that can be measured from their bodies and the things that cause those signals to change.  Students of any age might be interested to learn about the measurable signals produced by their bodies like the energy given off by their muscles or brain, or the fact that their hand temperature or sweat activity can change in response to a thought.

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