Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of emotional design on learners’ performance and emotions. If emotional design has any effects on learners’ performance and emotions, then we attempted to explore dimensions that are accounted for such effects. 316 Chinese university students participated in this study. The students were divided into two groups: NED group - students in this group learned material based on neutral design, and PED group - students in this group learned material based on positive design. We explored the differences between two groups in student learning performance as well as emotion. Prior knowledge, retention, and transfer tests were also carried out and outcomes were compared across two groups. In addition, student emotion was measured using a positive affect scale and biofeedback instruments. The results showed that PED group outperformed NED group on retention and transfer tests. However, insignificant difference was found between two groups on student emotion. Our results suggest that, although the effect of emotional design was insignificant on student emotion, it was significant on student learning performance (i.e. on retention and transfer tests). Based on our results, several implications were drawn and suggestions were made for educators and researchers.
Highlights
Emotions can influence cognitive processes and learning (Pekrun, 2006; Saarelainen & Ruokamo, 2007; Yang, Yang, & Isen, 2013) and so research on multimedia learning (Mayer, 2001) has begun to consider emotions during learning process and its influence on learning outcomes (Um, Plass, Hayward, & Homer, 2012; Mayer & Estrella, 2014)
The students were divided into two groups: neutral emotional design group (NED) group - students in this group learned material based on neutral design, and positive emotional design group (PED) group - students in this group learned material based on positive design
The effect of emotional design was insignificant on student emotion, it was significant on student learning performance
Summary
Emotions can influence cognitive processes and learning (Pekrun, 2006; Saarelainen & Ruokamo, 2007; Yang, Yang, & Isen, 2013) and so research on multimedia learning (Mayer, 2001) has begun to consider emotions during learning process and its influence on learning outcomes (Um, Plass, Hayward, & Homer, 2012; Mayer & Estrella, 2014). Emotion and learning Emotions are defined as individuals’ judgments about the world that are evoked as a reaction to and an interaction with certain stimuli (Desmet, 2002; Plass, Heidig, Hayward, Homer, & Um, 2014; Saarelainen & Ruokamo, 2007; Um et al, 2012). The emotions-as-suppressor-of-learning hypothesis postulates that emotions impair information processing. Our working memory has limited capacity, and if a learner has some taskirrelevant thoughts because of emotion, processing task-irrelevant information places additional demands on working memory, and interrupts the processing of the essential information (Sweller, Ayres, & Kalyuga, 2011)
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