Unveiling the Power of Affect during Learning
Date:
Abstract: In the realm of education, affect has long been acknowledged as a significant factor that impacts learning. Represented by cognitive structures in the mind, affect is described as a mood, feeling, or emotion, which transmits information about the world we experience and compels us to act and make decisions. Research finds that an inability (or ability) to regulate affect (e.g., confusion or frustration) can greatly impact how an individual learns with educational technologies (e.g., intelligent tutoring systems, game-based learning environments, MOOCs). Yet, there are significant theoretical, methodological, and analytical challenges impeding our understanding on how to best identify (and intervene) if and when affect becomes detrimental during learning with educational technologies.
In this SoLAR webinar, Elizabeth Cloude disscusses the state-of-the-art research findings, theoretical, methodological, and analytical approaches, and their challenges. It prsents an interdisciplinary perspective that merges an affect framework with complex adaptive systems theory, along with two illustrative cases. New research tools and directions are examined, describing how the design of educational technologies can positively influence affect, engagement, knowledge acquisition, and learning outcomes. Finally, opportunities and challenges regarding affect learning analytics are also discussed.