Online-Program against Test Anxiety
Speech anxiety and fear of oral and written examinations can be very stressful and limiting. That's why we offer students and staff an online-training for overcoming these fears. In this training you get to know about the characteristics of your fears by a self-test, you get information about speech and test anxiety and learn in different modules to cope with your fears. We provide you with infotexts, exercises, tips and case examples, demonstrated in short videos. OPTA is available as website and app.
Our trailer (also on Youtube: https://youtu.be/b6HfCQTLs5E) © TU Dresden - Download script of the video here (in German and English)
Note: For registration and login you will be redirected to a site of our technological partner Minddistrict. Anonymous registration is possible (first access only from Campus-Network; later from anywhere). More information on anonymity and the conditions of participation and data protection can be found at: tu-dresden.de/opta/terms
Features:
- addresses students and employees; anonymous registration possible
- usable via website (also mobile) and app (after registration via website)
- approx. time from ~30 min for one module; if you like, intensive use over several weeks is possible
- contains exercises, tips, case studies and videos, etc.
Contents:
- Self-test with individual evaluation (approx. 5 min.)
- Info module: Understanding speech and test anxiety (approx. 30 min.)
- free choice from the other modules
The self-test with subsequent evaluation takes 5 minutes and gives you an orientation on the extent of your fears with regard to written examinations, oral examinations or presentations. We will then give you recommendations on how you can benefit from the training.
The training starts with the info module, which provides knowledge about exam and presentation fears. The most important starting points for overcoming fears are already introduced here, and later you can deal with them more intensively in the practice modules. After the info module, you can select the next module of your choice.
Learn in the module "Direct your attention" how you can better concentrate on the contents of your exam or presentation by actively directing your attention. This method can reduce anxiety symptoms.
Our thoughts and evaluations of situations (e.g. "my lecture will be a disaster") can influence how we feel and can for example increase anxiety. This is good news because by questioning anxiety-triggering thoughts and evaluations we can reduce anxiety. Learn in the module "Question your thoughts" to recognize your hindering thoughts and beliefs and to find and practice more helpful alternative thoughts.
Many people use certain strategies in order to feel secure or to be able to control anxiety symptoms in face of the examination or speech situation perceived as threatening. These strategies are called "safety behaviour". Unfortunately, these strategies are all too often counterproductive, as you can learn in the module "Reduce your safety behaviours". In this module, you will learn how to recognize your own security behavior and how to train yourself to break it down.
You can achieve better performance and reduce your fears by clever preparation for exams and lectures. Learn how to do this in the module "Preparation for exams and presentations".
Here you will find a collection of short information and links to further offers, including learning and writing groups as well as self-help, counselling and therapy offers; literature and audio books/lectures/trainings for examination preparation and for coping with test and speech anxiety. There is also short information for special challenges such as stuttering.
![Preview of the training platform. You can see a menu, the info module, a start button, etc.](https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/ikpp/behavioralpsy/ressourcen/bilder/opta-bilder/gallerie-opta-module/OPTA-nach-dem-ersten-Login.png/@@images/b49ab4f5-ee73-4a7a-b5a9-dd6a7d02aabb.png)
OPTA after the first login (English platform yet to come) © Minddistrict / TU DD
![Info module: Understanding exam and speech anxiety (you can see a big I around which 4 situations are depicted: a person gives a speech and covers his/her face with a book in which he/she looks; a person sits in an oral exam and covers her face with her h](https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/ikpp/behavioralpsy/ressourcen/bilder/opta-bilder/gallerie-opta-module/Infomodul.png/@@images/10157e34-3df2-46fe-a53d-fe35f0b5867c.png)
Info module: Understanding speech and test anxiety © PantherMedia.net / Ishay Botbol / luckybusiness / pressmaster / razihusin / TU DD
![Practice module: Direct your attention (A flashlight as a symbol for attention lights up on a three-part circle, the part "task" is illuminated, the parts "outside" and "inside" are dark.](https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/ikpp/behavioralpsy/ressourcen/bilder/opta-bilder/gallerie-opta-module/Aufmerksamkeit-lenken.png/@@images/f9589a0c-dbab-4a3c-9812-bf688f84b58e.png)
Practice module: Direct your attention © TU DD
![Practice module: Question your thoughts (A student reads in the library with many books at the table, she looks thoughtfully or worriedly, she supports her lowered head with her hand, above her is a thought bubble with three dots and two exclamation marks](https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/ikpp/behavioralpsy/ressourcen/bilder/opta-bilder/gallerie-opta-module/Gedanken-hinterfragen.png/@@images/e3d97527-92d0-4bc4-9f25-87512eb0b3af.png)
Practice module: Question your thoughts © panthermedia.net / Wavebreakmedia ltd / TU DD
![Practice module: Reduce your safety behaviors (on the left a lecturer with folded arms, shamefaced looking down, above a thought bubble with a safety sign; at the right the same person is holding the lecture with open arms and looking at the audience.)](https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/ikpp/behavioralpsy/ressourcen/bilder/opta-bilder/gallerie-opta-module/Sicherheitsverhalten-abbauen.png/@@images/c9f52dd2-34c6-430f-8e8e-044f7b27551d.png)
Practice module: Reduce your safety behaviors © TU DD
![Module: Preparation for exams and presentations (A student sits at the table in the library and looks happily and optimistically to the top right, next to her there is a big "thumbs up" sign).](https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/ikpp/behavioralpsy/ressourcen/bilder/opta-bilder/gallerie-opta-module/Vorbereitung-auf-Pruefungen-und-Vortraege.png/@@images/a9cb92e7-75ca-44d4-9bb1-f226391adc3c.png)
Module: Preparation for exams and presentations © Amac Garbe / TU DD
![Services and bibliography (You can see a symbol of a glowing light bulb, a symbol with several books and an @-sign.)](https://tu-dresden.de/mn/psychologie/ikpp/behavioralpsy/ressourcen/bilder/opta-bilder/gallerie-opta-module/Weitere-Informationen-und-Angebote.png/@@images/12636d20-352b-413f-8c1f-34c65849ef07.png)
Services and bibliography © TU DD
Note:
For registration and login you will be redirected to a site of our technological partner Minddistrict. Anonymous registration is possible. Our conditions of participation and data protection can be found at: tu-dresden.de/opta/terms
© Copyright 2018 – All contents are protected by copyright.
The Online Program against Test Anxiety was developed by the Chair of Behavioural Psychotherapy and funded within the framework of the initiative budget "Diversität gezielt gefördert" of the staff unit Diversity Management of the TU Dresden.
Information
Questions & answers on how to use
- Minddistrict Help Pages (Q&A on how to use the platform)