Toward an artificial intelligence-based decision framework for developing adaptive e-learning systems to impact learners’ emotions

Abstract

ABSTRACT Learners’ emotional states might change during the learning process, and unpredictable variations of a person’s emotions raise the demand for regular assessment of feelings during learning. In this paper, an AI-based decision framework is proposed and implemented for e-learning systems that identify suitable micro-brake activities based on the learner’s emotional state through an evolutionary genetic algorithm to change learner’s mood and increase learning performance. This proposed framework was tested using a case study of English as a second language learner during one semester. The students were divided into two groups of participants (each group containing twenty students, forming a total of 40 students). The results of this study demonstrated the importance of learners’ emotions in their learning performance and proved the effectiveness of our proposed framework and the success of the recommended micro-break activities chosen based on learners’ emotions and preferences. The findings of this study have important practical implications in designing adaptive e-learning systems and learning management systems such as Moodle. They also contribute to theoretical implications in the field of AI and learner emotions by suggesting a novel approach to identifying, categorizing, and offering a learning path that can cater to the needs of individual learners.