Hermann Astleitner

Designing Emotionally Sound Instruction: The FEASP-Approach.

This article presents an aspect of systematicinstructional design which has received relativelylittle attention so far: strategies for makinginstruction more emotionally sound. The roles ofemotions in cognitive instructional design, inmotivational design of instruction, in affectiveeducation, and in emotional education are brieflyoutlined. All these approaches do not consider how anyinstruction should be designed to become emotionallypositive for students. Within the presented frameworkof Emotional Design of Instruction (EDI) a set ofprescriptive propositions is obtained from a review ofconcepts, theories, and empirical findings in thefield of research on emotion. Five major dimensions ofinstructional relevant emotions are identified: feararising from judging a situation as threatening, envyresulting from the desire to get or not to losesomething, anger coming from being hindered to reacha goal, sympathy as an experience in relation to otherpeople who are in the need of help, and pleasure basedon mastering a situation with a deep devotion. Theauthor describes twenty instructional strategies thatcan be used to decrease negative feelings (fear, envy,and anger) and to increase positive feelings (sympathyand pleasure) during instruction. The article closeswith a discussion of theoretical shortcomings and openquestions concerning research and practicalapplications.

Designing Instructional Technology from an Emotional Perspective

Abstract This article discusses an aspect of systematic instructional design that has received relatively little attention so far: strategies for making instructional technology more emotionally sound. Within the framework presented here, a set of prescriptive propositions is deduced from a review of concepts, theories, and empirical findings in the research on emotion. Five major dimensions of emotions are identified: (1) fear, which arises in response to a situation judged to be threatening; (2) envy, which comes from the desire to either get or not lose something; (3) anger, which comes in response to being hindered in reaching a goal; (4) sympathy, which is experienced in response to people in need of help; and (5) pleasure, which is experienced when mastering a situation. We describe 20 general instructional strategies that can be used to decrease negative emotions (fear, envy, and anger) and increase positive emotions (sympathy and pleasure). For all instructional strategies, we describe different features of instructional technology that can help educators integrate these strategies into regular instruction.

Learning Strategies for Unstructured Hypermedia--a Framework for Theory, Research, and Practice.

This article presents a review of major strategies for learning and information retrieval useful for learners, respectively users in coping with typical problems in unstructured hypermedia. They are derived from a process analysis of learning and information retrieval in “hypermedia-systems” and related problems, and they represent a framework for collecting and integrating several approaches widely scattered and isolated from each other in the literature. Three global types of strategies concerning goal attainment, spatial orientation, and knowledge acquisition are distinguished and specified with several sub-strategies. For each sub-strategy its contribution to solve particular problems is discussed. The article closes with a discussion of theoretical and methodological shortcomings, respectively, open questions concerning research and practical applications.

A Model for Motivationally Adaptive Computer-Assisted Instruction

AbstractUntil now, the matching of teaching processes to cognitive aspects of learning has been in the foreground of discussions in the field of computer-assisted instruction (CAI). There has been little effort to match teaching processes to the motivational dynamics of the learners. This study will attempt to show how theories and empirical findings of research on motivation can be integrated in a formal model in order to describe and predict motivation within the framework of motivationally adaptive computer-assisted instruction. This article begins with a discussion of problems in CAI and the reasons for these problems. The middle section of this article contains the theoretical basis for the study, which includes the components of a formal model to be implemented as a computer simulation. This article concludes with an example of how computer simulation can represent and predict motivational processes in instructional situations.

Applying Standard Network Analysis to Hypermedia Systems; Implications for Learning

Hypermedia systems may be considered as networks of interconnected fragments of information. In the literature, several attempts have been made to describe characteristics of nodes, links, and of the overall structure of such systems. However, the utility of these attempts is only limited for educational purposes because most of them are uneconomic in measuring and almost none of them is explicitly concerned with learning. In this article, an analogy between information networks and social networks is established. This analogy is used to illustrate the application of standard network analysis procedures. These procedures are available in widespread PC software (e.g., UCINET) and are used for calculating indices mapping structural aspects of hypermedia systems which are hypothesized to be relevant for learning. It is shown how the graphical representation of a hypothetical hypermedia system can be transformed into a matrix format which functions as the basis for computing standard network indices for nodes, groups of nodes, and entire networks (e.g., among others, centrality, cliques, or path distances). For each index, its potential influence on learning processes or learning outcomes is discussed. Implications of using standard network indices for research and practice in the field of educational or instructional hypermedia systems are outlined.

Effects of External Learning Aids on Learning with Ill-Structured Hypertext

From a practical point of view the research presented in this article investigates learning in ill-structured hypertext without (efficient) internal learning aids (such as maps, guided tours, or intelligent information retrieval support), because this kind of learning system is more spread in everyday instruction with new information technologies (e.g., WWW) than educationally well equipped learning systems. Based on the concepts of “minimalist instruction” and “browsing” three experiments (with high school and college students) concerning learning with ill-structured hypertext are depicted. In each of the experiments one different kind of external learning aid (memo pads, learning time, and teaching objectives) was manipulated and examined on its effect on intentional and incidental knowledge acquisition. Also corresponding traits (action control, achievement motivation, extraversion, and motivation for variation) and process variables (e.g., frequency and diversity of chosen nodes) were considered as covariables. Statistical procedures were focused on CTTI (Complex Trait-Treatment-Interactions)-analysis with MAN(C)OVA. Results showed that the less students were action-oriented the more they profited in intentional learning from using memo pads. The usage of memo pads also decreased incidental learning, especially when many nodes were chosen. Results further indicated that intentional learning was high and incidental learning was low when learning time was at a medium level. The salience of teaching objectives influenced both types of learning in interaction with the measured motivational personality traits. Findings were briefly discussed on the basis of an integrated theoretical aptitude-treatment interaction approach to knowledge acquisition using cognitive effort as main construct.

Multimedia und Motivation - Modelle der Motivationspsychologie als Grundlage für die didaktische Mediengestaltung

Aus der bisherigen Forschung zum Lernen mit Multimedia gibt es haufig widerspruchliche Ergebnisse, da zum Teil unerwartete Effekte aufgetreten sind oder wichtige lernrelevante Parameter ausser Acht gelassen wurden. Mangel lassen sich vor allem im Bereich der Motivation feststellen. Traditionelle Theorien zum Lernen mit Multimedia sind meist auf kognitive Faktoren aufgebaut und ignorieren, dass die Motivation eines Lernenden Lernressourcen signifikant beeinflussen kann. In dieser Arbeit werden theoretische Modelle kritisch besprochen. Die daraus gewonnenen Erkenntnisse munden in ein integratives theoretisches Modell, das motivationale Faktoren beim Lernen mit Multimedia extrahiert. Dieses Modell sollte zukunftige Forschung anregen, da es eine Erweiterung der popularen kognitiven Theorie des Lernens mit Multimedia von Mayer (2001) darstellt. Das geschaffene Modell integriert zwei Typen von Variablen, die mentales Ressourcenmanagement (Aufmerksamkeit, Engagement, Monitoring) und motivationale Prozesse (Zielsetzung und Handlungskontrolle) betreffen. Es kann Forschern, Medienpadagogen, Unterrichts- und/oder Mediengestaltern einen Uberblick uber die Hauptfaktoren geben, die berucksichtigt werden mussen, wenn man multimediale Lernumgebungen motivational wirksam entwickeln will.