Adult learners’ emotions in online learning

DistanceEducationVol.29,No.1,May2008,71–87ISSN0158-7919print/ISSN1475-0198online©2008OpenandDistanceLearningAssociationofAustralia,Inc.DOI:10.1080/01587910802004852’emotionsinonlinelearningMichalinosZembylas*SchoolofSocialSciencesandHumanities,OpenUniversityofCyprus,Nicosia,CyprusTaylorandFrancisCDIE_A_300651.sgm(Received6October2007;finalversionreceived22February2008)10.1080/01587910802004852DistanceEducation0158-7919(print)/1475-0198(online)ResearchArticle2008OpenandDistanceLearningAssociationofAustralia,In[e-mail]dyreportedinthisarticlewastoinvestigatehowadultlearnerstalkabouttheiremotionsinthecontextofayear-longonlinecourse,thefirstonlinecoursetheseadultstake,aspartofadistanceeducationprogram.Thetheoreticalandmethodologicalapproachfocusedonformulatinganaccountofhowemotiondiscoursesareusedbylearners,whatroletheyplayinonlinelearning,andhowtheychangeoveraone-yearperiod(iftheydoso).Thefindingsofthisstudyprovidethreeinsights:(1)theyshowhowadultlearners(whoalsohappentobenoviceonlinelearners)respondemotionallyandtalkabouttheiremotionsinrelationtoonlinelearning;(2)theycallattentiontothewaysinwhichemotiontalkchangesfromthebeginningofthecoursetotheend,alwaysinresponsetospecificdemandsanddimensionsofonlinelearning;and(3)theyrevealthedifferentialemotionalresponsesbetweenmenandwomeninrelationtotheirsocialandgenderrolesandresponsibilities.Empiricalandpolicyimplicationsofthisstudyarediscussedattheend.Keywords:adultlearners;Cyprus;emotions;onlinelearningIntroductionOverthelastfewdecadeseducationalresearchershavemadesubstantialprogresstowardsiden-tifyingthecognitiveprocessesthatareimportanttolearning.Thesignificanceoftheemotionalaspectsinlearningsituationshasalsobeenrecognized;yetasystematicinquiryofemotionsinthelearningprocesshasbeenslowtoemerge(Boekaerts,2007;Pekrun,Goetz,Titz,&Perry,2002).Recentresearchhashighlightedhowlearningaffectsalearner’semotionsandviceversa(Mayring&vonRhoeneck,2003;Schutz&Pekrun,2007).Adulteducatorsareonlybeginningtounderstandtheinteractionbetweenlearningandemotion(Dirkx,2001;2006;Shuck,Albornoz,&Winberg,2007;Yorks&Kasl,2002).AsDirkx(2001,2006)haspointedout,relativelyfewscholarsandpractitionersinadultandhighereducationregardemotionasintegraltolearning.Thelackofinquiryontheemotionsoflearningisevenmorevisibleinonlinelearningcontexts(MacFadden,2007;Wosnitza&Volet,2005).Electroniclearninghasbeendepictedaslessemotionalandmoreimpersonal(Rice&Love,1987)oraslackinginemotionalrichness(e.g.,lackofbodylanguage,facialexpressions,andgestures)whencomparedtoface-to-facelearning(seeVrasidas&Zembylas,2003).Yet,emotionishardlyabsentfromonlinelearningcontexts.Bothanecdotalaccounts(e.g.,seeHalio,2004;MacFadden,2005)andrecentstudieshaveacknowledgedhownegativeemotions(anger,frustration,confusion,boredom,andisola-tiontonameafew)andpositiveemotions(e.g.,engagement,excitement)experiencedbyonlinelearnersinhibitorsupporttheprocessoflearning(e.g.,seeConrad,2002;Hara&Kling,2003;Järvenoja&Järvelä,2005;O’Regan,2003;Rovai&Wighting,2005).However,thereishardly*Email:[e-mail]adultlearnerstalkabouttheiremotionsastheylearnhowtobecomeonlinelearners.Theaimofthisresearchstudywastoinvestigatehowadultlearnerstalkabouttheiremotionsinthecontextofayear-longonlinecourse,thefirstonlinecoursetheseadultstake,aspartofadistanceeducationprogram.Thisinvestigationisgroundedincriticalandpoststructuralistperspectivesthatallowanappreciationofthelearner’sperspectiveandtheconstructionofemotionalknowledgewithinaparticularsocialterrain(Boler,1999;Harré,1986;Zembylas,2002,2004,2005).Thistheoreticalandmethodologicalapproachfocusesonformulatinganaccountofhowemotiondiscoursesareusedbylearners,whatroletheyplayinlearning,andhowtheychangeoveraone-yearperiod(iftheydoso).Inotherwords,thefocalpointoftheprojectwastoanalyzeadultlearners’emotiontalkinonlinelearningandilluminatehowtheaccountsthatlearnersgiveabouttheiremotionalexperienceswithonlineeducationaretransformed(iftheyareso)overthedurationoftheirlearningprocess.Inwhatfollows,thetheoreticalandmethodologicalframeworkofthestudyisintroduced.Thenthefindingsareexamined,focusingonthepositiveandnegativeemotionsassociatedwiththeonlinelearningoftheadultsinvolvedinthisstudy.Finally,theimplicationsarediscussed,highlightingboththechallengesandtheopportunitiesfromconsideringtherelationshipbetweenadultlearners’emotiontalkandonlinelearning.Inlightofnumerousreportsacknowledgingthemultipleresponsibilitiesandrolesofadultstakingonlinecourses,thisstudyalsoemphasizestheimportanceoftakingintoaccounthowgenderdifferencesareexemplifiedinmaturewomenandmenstudents’talkabouttheiremotionsastheylearnhowtobecomeonlinelearners(seeKramarae,2001;vonPrümmer,2000).LiteraturereviewEmotionsareimportantinadultlearningbecausetheycaneitherimpedeormotivatelearning(Dirkx,2001;Yorks&Kasl,2002).Wlodkowski(1999)emphasizedtheessentialroleofemotionindecreasingorincreasingmotivationtolearn;thu