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Online learning is a support tool for educators as well as a medium of delivery of any-time,
any-where delivery of a content to a dispersed learner community. Web-based learning
environments are a relatively new medium of learning to Sri Lankan universities. Like any
learning process, online learning depends on effective communication of human knowledge,
whether this occurs in a face-to-face classroom or across the Internet. The effectiveness of
online learning also depends on establishing two-way communication between facilitators
and learners, and among learners themselves. Although both emotions and interest can
increase learners’ likelihood to engage in traditional learning, little is known about the
influence of emotions and interest in learning activities in a digital environment. Emotions
play an essential role in decision making, managing, perceiving and learning and influence
the rational thinking process of humans. Emotions are also important in teaching and
learning and often find expression in particular ways, such as interactions with others and
motivation in learning. The influence of emotions on e-learning is still not emphasized.
Continuous and increasing exploration of the complex set of parameters surrounding online
learning reveals the importance of the emotional states of learners and especially the
relationship between learning and affective behaviour. Previous research have identified that
emotions occur while individuals assess events in their environment that are related to the
needs, goals and well-being. Moreover, recent research on the emotional response to online
learning has focused on the importance of learners’ feelings in relation to the community of
learning.
The aim of the research is to develop a model to recognize leaner emotions in online learning
environment. Through a critical literature review on affective computing, the study has
identified several models and selected Barry Kort’s Learning Spiral Model as the prototype
model of the research study. The learning spiral model is a four quadrant learning model in
which emotions change while the learner moves through quadrants and up the spiral. This
study will be presenting a model which describes the relationship between the online learners
learning performances and emotions that occur during online learning process. The research
study has built a high-level architecture which consists of three sub modules representing the
current context on online learning and two sub modules representing the novel approach of
affective learning. Experiments were conducted based on the sub modules developed. The
research was focused on identifying a suitable tool to recognise the online learner’s
emotions. During the comprehensive literature survey, different tools enabling recognising
learner emotions were identified and the study has selected Achievement of Emotions
Questionnaire (AEQ) by Pekrun et al. to be applied in recognising learner emotions.
Therefore, the study has developed Online AEQ based on the AEQ which is suited for the
online learning environment. The study has identified six parameters which represent the
learner’s level of learning during the learning experience. These parameters are analysed
using multiple regression analysis and a model equation was developed to compute the
online learner’s level of learning. Finally the study has analysed and evaluated the
correlation between the learner emotions and the observed behaviour. This research study
therefore developed a novel model of affective online learning which can be use as a tool to
recognise online learner’s emotions with regard to the performance in learning. |
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