16 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Students’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Anxiety In An Online Collaborative Project
This study explored students’ perceptions and experiences of anxiety in an online collaborative project. Using a mixed methods approach, data derived from an online survey of students from the UK Open University (n=76) followed by purposefully sampled semi-structured interviews among survey respondents who agreed to be interviewed (n=11). The results revealed that: a) anxiety was a commonly experienced emotion among survey respondents, with many perceiving these feelings to be greater before or at the start of the collaborative project and then gradually decreasing throughout; b) anxiety derived from various sources which were all related to ‘uncertainty’; c) different learners perceived anxiety to have facilitative, debilitative, and neutral impacts on their participation and performance in the collaborative activity; d) learners used a range of coping strategies in order to manage anxiety, with problem-focused coping being more frequently reported than either emotion-focused coping or avoidance coping strategies; and e) getting to ‘know’ participants before the start of the collaborative project and being able to express and share feelings and emotions were seen as important for supporting anxious learners. Recommendations, aimed at reducing feelings of anxiety and improving learner experience in online collaborative projects, are discussed and future research in this field is suggested
Recommended from our members
Emotion regulation strategies and goals of distance learning students in an assessed online collaborative project
Being able to effectively regulate emotions is viewed as a crucial process in online learning. With an increasing use of social and collaborative activities in online learning environments, there are many unique challenges that may impact emotion regulation in these settings, such as a lack of social and emotional cues. Currently, there is limited research exploring emotion regulation strategies (i.e. how learners regulate their emotions) and emotion regulation goals (i.e. why learners regulate their emotions) of students in these online collaborative learning environments. In the present study, the emotion regulation strategies and goals used by 17 distance learning students undertaking an assessed, online, collaborative group project were explored. An online diary was used to gather self-report data at six-time points during the group activity. In each diary entry, participants were asked to select both a pleasant and unpleasant emotion they had experienced in relation to the group project, and indicate whether they had attempted to regulate each emotion. If they had, they were asked to describe how and why they had tried to regulate their emotions. Results revealed that students used a variety of strategies to regulate pleasant and unpleasant emotions. It was also found that participants described having emotion regulation goals primarily aimed at changing the momentary emotional experience (hedonic goals) as well as goals focused on other outcomes resulting from changing the experience or expression of specific emotions (instrumental goals). A brief discussion of the implications for educators and learning designers conclude this presentation
Recommended from our members
The impact of emotions on student participation in an assessed, online, collaborative activity
There is growing recognition of the importance of emotions in academic online learning contexts. However, there is still little known about the role of emotions in social and collaborative online learning settings, especially the relationship between emotions and student participation. To explore this relationship, this study used a prospective longitudinal research design to follow 46 distance learning students throughout a 3-week assessed, online, collaborative activity. This approach allowed the fluctuating and dynamic aspects of emotions to be explored as well as the relationship between emotions and student participation in the collaborative activity. Self-report data were gathered using a semistructured online diary at five time points throughout the task (once at the start of the collaborative activity, three times during the activity, and the final entry after the activity had finished). Findings revealed that learners generally perceived pleasant emotions (such as relief, satisfaction and enjoyment) to have positive impacts, or no impact, on participation, whereas unpleasant emotions (such as anxiety, frustration, and disappointment) were generally perceived to have negative impacts, or no impact, on participation. Interestingly, however, anxiety, and to a smaller extent frustration, were perceived by a number of students to have positive impacts during the activity. To conclude this paper, implications for educators are highlighted
Recommended from our members
Using real time student feedback as an emotion awareness and regulation tool in an assessed, online, collaborative project
Over the last decade, research has increasingly highlighted the inextricable links between emotion and cognition as well as the profound effects emotions have in academic contexts in both individual and social learning settings (Pekrun and Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2012). Although much of this research has been undertaken in face-to-face learning, such notions have also been evidenced in online learning environments (Henritius et al., 2019; Reis et al., 2018). With the increased understanding of the importance of emotions in educational contexts, researchers have started to develop tools that can be used by students to help raise awareness of their emotions and help them regulate their feelings when undertaking learning activities (Järvelä et al., 2016). One such tool is The Socio-Emotional Sampling Tool (SEST) (Webster and Hadwin, 2013) which aims to prompt students to metacognitively monitor and evaluate their current emotional state before, during and after undertaking computer-supported collaborative learning activities. The SEST has been developed to have both research and instructional purposes; on the one hand, it can be used as a research tool to collect data about students’ emotional experiences, whilst on the other hand it can be used as an instructional tool to help students become more aware of their emotions and think about ways of regulating their feelings. In this research, we have adapted the SEST and implemented this tool (using real time student feedback) throughout an 9-week assessed, online collaborative project in the Communication and Information Technologies (TM255) module at The Open University. Specifically, students were presented with the opportunity to fill out short feedback forms on four occasions throughout the project (once before it had started, twice during the project, and once after it had finished). Although each form aimed to assess students’ current feelings towards the activity, the two forms completed during the task were also aimed at getting students to think about how they could regulate their emotions. Links to each of the four forms were embedded into the weekly content of module’s Virtual Learning Environment. In this presentation, we will report preliminary findings from the study as well as discuss practical implications of using real time student feedback as an emotion awareness and regulation tool in assessed, online, collaborative projects in a distance learning setting
Recommended from our members
Students' feelings in social and collaborative learning: some case studies
In HE institutions within Europe and beyond, there is considerable interest in adopting collaborative approaches to online learning. These approaches give students opportunities to learn from each other as they study online, and also to develop employability skills in working with others. Many educators are therefore keen to adopt these new methods in their courses; however not all students are enthusiastic about them. For example, students may be anxious about the prospect of taking part in online collaborative learning activities, particularly if they do not know the other students, and if their grades are dependent upon the success of the collaboration.
Students experience a range of different feelings in relation to online collaborative learning (Webster & Hadwin, 2013). Some feelings (anxiety or frustration) may be a largely negative experience, while others (sense of achievement or enjoyment) are largely positive. Recent research shows the effects of these different emotions on students’ engagement and success are not as obvious as might be assumed (Hilliard, 2017).
We present two case studies of modules from the UK Open University which have integrated collaborative activities: a second-year (9-month part-time) undergraduate module on Information Technology; and a short (10-week part-time) module on Digital Photography. We consider how the feelings of students about the collaborative activities change from before they start, to during the collaboration, and finally after the activities have finished. The findings are used to identify how educators can best support their students in undertaking online collaboration with confidence and maximising the benefits gained.
Hilliard, J. (2017). Students’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Anxiety In An Online Collaborative Project. MRes thesis The Open University. [http://oro.open.ac.uk/52546/]
Webster, E. A., & Hadwin, A. F. (2013). Regulating emotions during computer-supported collaborative problem solving. Annual Conference of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Victoria, British Columbia
Using Short Questionnaires to Support Students' Emotion Awareness and Regulation During an Online Group Project
Over the past two decades, research has highlighted the profound influence emotions can have on students’ learning, achievement, and wellbeing. Being able to successfully regulate one’s emotions is now viewed as crucial when learning in educational settings. To support students with this process, a growing line of research has explored various ways of helping students understand and manage their emotions (e.g., via the use of digital tools aimed at helping students become more aware of their emotions and prompting ways to regulate these emotions). Despite this, limited research has been undertaken in online group learning settings, where students work remotely together as part of their course using collaborative communication tools. These learning contexts present unique challenges which can make emotion regulation more difficult than in face-to-face learning environments (e.g., delayed response times when communicating with peers and teachers and a reduced sense of how others are feeling, due to limited emotional cues when learning online). In this paper, we describe an approach used at the UK Open University (UKOU) to assist students’ emotion awareness and regulation during a 9-week group project. This involves the use of short questionnaires which have been embedded into the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) of a module. Since their inclusion, these questionnaires have been found to enhance emotional awareness in many students, as well as support the regulation of emotions in the group project. To conclude this paper, reflections on using the short questionnaires are discussed and implications for educators and institutions are identified
Recommended from our members
The impact of COVID-19 and distance learning on undergraduate students’ resilience and psycho-social wellbeing: A three-stage study to explore, implement, and evaluate effective strategies to build student community
This poster reports on a three-stage study currently being undertaken in the University of Bristol’s School of Education (SoE). Its primary purpose is to identify, implement, and evaluate a range of supportive strategies aimed at enhancing students’ community building, and/or mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19 and the transition to online learning. In stage one, online focus groups were completed with existing undergraduate students and recent graduates to explore changes in community cohesion as well as challenges to mental health and wellbeing during the shift to remote learning. In stage two, four key strategies that were identified in the stage one focus groups were implemented into two courses in the SoE for a 12-week period. In stage three, online interviews will be undertaken to understand the positives and negatives of each strategy, as well as how they contributed students’ sense of community, social support, and wellbeing. Going forward, it is hoped that transferrable strategies can be developed and used across faculties and universities
Recommended from our members
Using short questionnaires to support students' emotion awareness and regulation during an online group project
Over the past two decades, research has highlighted the profound influence emotions can have on students’ learning, achievement, and wellbeing. Being able to successfully regulate one’s emotions is now viewed as crucial when learning in educational settings. To support students with this process, a growing line of research has explored various ways of helping students understand and manage their emotions (e.g., via the use of digital tools aimed at helping students become more aware of their emotions and prompting ways to regulate these emotions). Despite this, limited research has been undertaken in online group learning settings, where students work remotely together as part of their course using collaborative communication tools. These learning contexts present unique challenges which can make emotion regulation more difficult than in face-to-face learning environments (e.g., delayed response times when communicating with peers and teachers and a reduced sense of how others are feeling, due to limited emotional cues when learning online). In this paper, we describe an approach used at the UK Open University (UKOU) to assist students’ emotion awareness and regulation during a 9-week group project. This involves the use of short questionnaires which have been embedded into the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) of a module. Since their inclusion, these questionnaires have been found to enhance emotional awareness in many students, as well as support the regulation of emotions in the group project. To conclude this paper, reflections on using the short questionnaires are discussed and implications for educators and institutions are identified
Recommended from our members
The use of an online emotion awareness and regulation instrument in two university courses during the COVID-19 pandemic
This study aimed to explore the use of an online emotion awareness and regulation instrument in two university courses that had transitioned to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to collecting data about students’ emotions and emotion regulation whilst studying online, this study also investigated the value and usefulness of the instrument for both students and academic teaching staff. Undergraduate students from the University of Bristol’s School of Education completed a weekly emotion awareness and regulation instrument on five occasions. Data from the instrument was also summarised and provided to academic teaching staff at three separate time points (after week 1, 3, and 5). After the 5-week period, an online survey was completed by both students and academic teaching staff to assess their perspectives of either: completing the instrument (students); or receiving the summarised data about students emotions and emotion regulation (academic teaching staff). Findings revealed that: a) students experienced a range of pleasant and unpleasant emotions whilst studying online (feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and supported were most reported emotions); b) the course itself and the teaching staff were prominent sources of pleasant emotions, whilst the course and learning context were the main causes of unpleasant emotions; c) students planned to use a range of strategies to regulate their emotions, with 'thinking positively', 'talking to other students on the course', and 'creating a good plan' being most selected; and d) students' awareness of their own emotions and tutors' awareness of students' emotions was enhanced by completing the instrument or viewing the summarised data, respectively. This presentation will discuss these key findings and highlight important implications for educators
Recommended from our members
Creating emotionally supportive learning environments when undertaking assessed, online, group activities
Over the past two decades, extensive research has underscored the significant influence of emotions on students’ learning, achievement, and overall wellbeing. Pleasant emotions, such as enjoyment, have been associated with improved task focus, the utilisation of effective self-regulation strategies, and enhanced mental wellbeing. Conversely, experiencing unpleasant emotions, such as anxiety, has been linked to increased task-irrelevant thinking, reduced motivation to learn, and diminished physical and mental health.
Despite the growing understanding of the impact of emotions when learning, there remains a dearth of research specifically focusing on the emotional experiences of students during assessed, online, group activities. These collaborative learning approaches, commonly employed at The Open University UK, encourage students to engage in group discussions, share thoughts and opinions, solve problems together, and collectively produce group products or artefacts.
While these learning methods offer educational benefits, existing research, albeit limited, has highlighted that these activities can elicit a diverse range of emotional states, including heightened levels of unpleasant emotions (particularly anxiety and frustration). Due to the potential detrimental impacts of these emotions, it is crucial that strategies for establishing emotionally supportive learning environments when undertaking online group work are identified.
This presentation consists of two parts. Firstly, it provides a succinct overview of key findings derived from a doctoral study that investigated students’ emotional experiences in assessed, online, group activities. Secondly, building upon these findings and drawing from theoretical frameworks of emotion, the presentation presents potential approaches to foster an emotionally supportive learning environment when undertaking online group work. By attending to students’ emotions, these approaches aim to cultivate healthy and optimal learning environments that nurture both cognitive and affective aspects of student development