Crafting Optimal Digital Learning Experiences: An Inquiry into Emotion-Infused Web-Based Instructional Design and Its Influence on Student Satisfaction

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of emotionally infused web-based instruction on students’ satisfaction in learning English grammar. The sample population for this study involved 185 Form Three students from a secondary school of Peninsular Malaysia. Data were collected using the End-User Computing Satisfaction (EUSC). The research design for this study is a Quasi-experimental design. This study consists of one independent variable (instructional strategies) with two types of treatment condition (Web-based Instruction with Emotional Element (WBIe) and Web-based Instruction without Emotional Element (WBIwe) and one moderator variable (level of emotional intelligence) with two levels (high and low level of emotional intelligence). A 2𝑥2 factorial design was used. The results revealed that students in WBIe performed better than students in WBIwe based on satisfaction level, students in both WBIe and WBIwe have a similar score. The results further indicated that emotional intelligence level affects students’ satisfaction in WBIe and WBIwe. Students with high levels of emotional intelligence had a higher score than those with low levels of emotional intelligence in terms of satisfaction level. Given the findings of this study confirming the instructional impact of emotionally sound web-based instruction, it is important for an instructional designer to clearly understand how emotions influence the learning process. This helps to figure out how to channel their emotions to make them learn more effectively.