Proposal Description

The use of web conferencing platforms has risen dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic allowing many businesses to continue to operate and people to socialise.  However, it has also been widely reported that the extensive use of such platforms has taken a toll on users.  Recent studies indicate that user engagement with certain web conferencing features (e.g. mirror images, user presence display, meeting recording, display layout) generates stress and fatigue.  To extend these preliminary insights, this project will conduct a series of neurophysiological experiments to determine under what conditions does the use of different web conferencing features generate stress and fatigue in users, and what are the effects on a user’s ability to restore their attention. These findings can inform the design of web conferencing platforms to limit the negative impacts on user wellbeing.

Deliverables

This project will determine;

  1. Which web conferencing features contribute to the stress, fatigue, and attention deficits in users.
  2. If and why different groups of people respond differently when engaging with web conferencing features.
  3. How web conferencing features can be redesigned to reduce stress and fatigue, and help restore user attention.

The deliverables will be in the form of a report and presentation of findings.

Milestones

  1. Postdoctoral researcher in situ – September 2022
  2. Literature review conducted – Oct 2022
  3. Study design finalised – Dec 2022
  4. Pilot experiments conducted – Jan 23
  5. Final experiments conducted – Mar 23
  6. Initial findings presented to Cisco – June 23
  7. Final report on study – Aug 23

 

Funded by