Academic emotions - ONL-Learning.


Tranquility!

Frustrations (internal) in relation to barriers (external) among students in online courses might be e.g. technology or poor usability (in relation to the course design). Issues with "internet-access", or the equipment, or the layout (“messy to find the course-information”).  See research described by Becker, Newton and Sawang (2013) or Keengwe and Kidd (2010). It might moreover be feelings of social not belonging, or lack in communication, between the students in the same course, or in relation to the teacher. Fear for interaction, or fear for failure, moreover described by researchers, that points out the value of academic emotions, and the teachers responsibility to be “cognitive, social and existential present” in the digital-space, as well as in the campus classroom (Hrastinski, 2013; 2016). At the course-start, the teacher should make time to inform about the course-instructions to the student. So the student feel safe, with what to do.
My experience (as a health science researcher) is from a life-world perspective (see eg. Husserl, 1962; Dahlberg & Dahlberg, 2008). Learning new things might be described as an interpersonal processes, as well as we find ourselves "existentially linked as social beings”. We also need support - or sometimes opponents - to deepen our understanding, to see new perspectives: “contextual, emotional, existential, and functional", in learning situations. By this, I mean that we as people strive for meaning, and understanding based on our life situation. It means, that facts that we have "interpreted", to a new meaning and understanding, are based on our subjective life-world. This means different things, for different people, different needs in relation to the learning-situation.
A sense of belonging and a feeling of generosity and sharing, is also described by eg. Hrastinski and Cleveland-Innes (2016). This of need for making sense in the online-working-group. Creativity and sharing, is essential elements in the course design!




References;
Becker K, Newton K, & Sawang S. (2013). A learner perspective on barriers to e-learning. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 53(2), pp. 211-233.
Dahlberg K., Dahlberg H.& Nyström M. (2008). Reflective life world research. 2nd ed., Lund, Sweden: Studentlitteratur.
Hrastinski, S. (2013). Nätbaserad utbildning: en introduktion. (2. uppl.) Lund: Studentlitteratur.
Hrastinski, S. & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2016). Emotional Presence in a Relationship of Inquiry: The Case of One-to-One Online Math Coaching Online Learning. Volume 20 Issue 1.  
Husserl, E. (1962). Ideas: general introduction to pure phenomenology, W.R.B. Gibson (trans). Collier Books, London.
Keengwe, J & Kidd, T. (2010). Towards Best Practices in Online Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, vol 6 (No 2). June.






Kommentarer

  1. Gamze16 maj 2019 kl. 14:22

    Thanks Helena for courageously articulating our untold frustrations and their well founded reasons. I am sure we all have carried them throughout our ONL journey (I have!), but I guess what matters now is, since we have let the cats out of the bag, what we do with them after ONL, or many others in various settings.

    Best,

    Gamze

    SvaraRadera
    Svar
    1. FiloSofia17 maj 2019 kl. 04:37

      Thanks! Yes we did, we... "let the cats out of the bag" ;) Have a nice day! H

      Radera
  2. Lotta Fröjdfeldt20 maj 2019 kl. 07:59

    You describe some problems that can occur, and maybe has occurred, during an ONL course, and maybe in any online course? You lift the importance of belonging and communicating easily. You also describe how fear of failure can hinder development, and you emphasize the teacher’s responsibility. You also describe our search for meaning and how to interpret the world in new ways. This makes me wonder: Did you find new meanings? In connection to the ONL course? New interpretations? It would be interesting to hear more about your thoughts about this.

    SvaraRadera
    Svar
    1. FiloSofia21 maj 2019 kl. 01:29

      The "new meaning" I "found", was in relation to a inter-personal growth. I think that I learnt to trust that the process (in this online course, was even more valuable than the actual product). Also, that I should take more space in the group (raise my own voice!).

      Radera

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