Announcing a Project – Understanding the Role of Emotion in eLearning
By Prof. Dr. Frank Thissen, University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart, Germany and University of Karlsruhe, Germany – July 23, 2002
Building an Improved Mode for eLearning
This project is an interdisciplinary research project, based on my experience
in corporate projects on eLearning. My research and publications shall be realized
within the scope of a research semester (September 2002 till March 2003).
There will be three focal points:
- The realizations and discoveries of cognitive sciences and neurology on human perception and human emotion (Ciompi, Damasio, Eccles, Goleman, Roth, Spitzer).
- The discussion in informatics on human-computer interaction and new concepts of computers as media (Cooper, Floyd, Laurel, Maaß, Oberquelle, Raskin, Reeves, Winograd).
- Trends in pedagogies and psychology that understands learning as a process of active construction of individuals (Astleitner, Arnold, Kösel, Mandl, Maturana, Schank, Scherer, Siebert, Tulodziecki).
The combination of these disciplines and the reference of their research results make the project very exiting, and it is also the basis for it’s success. The project’s results will be disseminated back into the different sciences.
The results will be published.
Background
Emotions are essential for the success of human learning processes.
This well established idea has been confirmed by modern cognitive science, but is neglected in most of the models and implementations of computer-based and web-based learning.
Very often eLearning means the presentation of information and material on a very rational base. And communication between learners and trainers takes place in a very reduced form that ignores the fact that communication is always meta-communication (Bateson) as well.
If human emotions are essential for human thinking and learning processes,
virtual platforms and learning environments have to intensively consider this
fact if they are to be successful. In particular,
the graphical computer interface may not address humans as information processing
machines, but needs to consider human emotion, passion and affects. Learning
environments have to be more
than simply a program, they have to be a form of rich media and to pursue whole
didactic concepts.
Based on the actual results of cognitive sciences and research on emotions a substantiate concept for the development of future virtual learning scenarios will be developed. The results shall be realized in a prototype and should be a model for future developments.
Goal of the Project
The goal of the project is to develop a theoretical basis for further development and then to develop these theoretical ideas into a concrete prototype.
In building a new prototype, this project will answer the following questions:
- What is the measurable influence of emotions in the thinking and learning processes?
- Which kinds of emotions influence the learning processes?
- Which emotional factors encourage the learning processes?
- Which emotional factors hinder the learning processes?
- Is the influence of emotional factors equal for all learners?
- What is the role of learning partners in virtual learning processes?
- What is the role of tutors / teachers / coaches in virtual learning
- What is the role of tutors / teachers / coaches in virtual learning processes?
- What are the specific differences in eLearning and classroom training relating to emotional factors?
- How does the graphic user interface influence the processes of cognition?
- How does the graphic user interface influence learning processes?
- What does it mean that the interface is no longer seen as a tool but as a media (Laurel)?
- What is the influence and benefit of agents in virtual learning arrangements?
- What is specific in virtual communication?
- What are the concrete factors that support or hinder emotion in learning environments?
- What ideas of affective computing can be used for interface design?
Partners
The following partners will accompany the project:
- Prof. Dr. Hermann Astleitner, University Salzburg, Austria
- Prof. Dr. Edmund Kösel, University Freiburg, Germany
- Kai Krause, ByteBurg, Bad Breisig, Germany
- Prof. Dr. Frieder Nake, University Bremen, Germany
- Prof. Dr. Rosalinde Picard, MIT Media Laboratory, Cambridge, USA
- Prof. Dr. Gerhard Roth, University Bremen, Germany
- Prof. Dr. Klaus Scherer , University Genf, Switzerland (inquired)
- Prof. Dr. Manfred Spitzer, University Ulm, Germany
- Agency Wagner + Coerdts, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Dr. Dr. Henrik Walter, University Ulm, Germany
Project Plan
March - October 2002: investigation
November 2002 - February 2003: Research report
From March 2003: Prototype development
Summer / Autumn 2003: Prototype evaluation
From March 2003: Presentation of the research results and (later) the prototype
References
