Theory Review Paper - Javita

Javita Johnson

Learning within an emotional context

Javita Johnson	Commented on
	Group 3 Relationships in learning:  Emily Sheperd Group 2:  Learning Styles:  Nicholas Spangle

            Many theorists have proposed varying learning styles within well-known domains such as auditory, visual, and verbal amongst other suggested learning styles. MacKeracher (2004) described learning style as “how we prefer to learn” noting that learning styles reach beyond cognitive ability and combines interaction within the areas of “affective, social, and physiological styles” to provide a reaction to learning experiences (p.75). When considering the above definition of learning styles one may innately understand how cognitive functioning impacts learning experiences, as individuals are exposed to learning environments based upon strengthening skills through the usage of knowledge starting often times prior to their engagement in school settings. For instance, students entering kindergarten are often provided a structured test to determine their current knowledge of recommended age appropriate scholastic readiness.

However, the utilization of standardized testing for scholastic readiness or achievement may omit accommodations for learners’ preferential learning style as the above standard is unable to account for areas that may impact responses of learners. For example, one may wonder how does a person’s emotional well-being impact their learning experiences.  When discussing optimal learning environments, the consideration of emotional well-being may rarely be addressed. In addition, individuals may separate emotions from learning environments all together. Emotions may be commonly described in terms of characteristics such as happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, and loneliness without consideration of how the above feelings may impact learning experiences. MacKeracher (2004) defined emotions as “a term used to describe an arousal state exceeding optimal levels and having positive or negative meaning for the individual” (p. 124). Considering emotions directly impact the way individuals feel and respond to experiences, it appears that emotions can directly influence how individuals respond to learning environments.

The influence of emotional well-being on learning experiences

One may ask, how exactly does emotional well-being impact the learning experiences of learners. For the purpose of this literature review, the authors will focus on how emotional well-being may impact learning experiences of freshman college students concluding with suggestions to help enhance awareness of emotional wellbeing within learning environments. Christie, Tett, Cree, Hounsell, and McCune (2008) described the relationship between emotions and learning as learning being “a profoundly reflexive and emotional construct” that can engage “emotional dimensions” providing “upsetting experiences, leading to feelings of psychological vulnerability and insecurity” or invoke “feelings of hopeful anticipation, exhilaration, and discovery” (p. 567). The entry into a higher education setting may incite all of the aforementioned emotional responses. This is a time where learners are becoming adults, potentially leaving home for the first time, entering a foreign environment, in addition to being introduced to cultural and moral systems possibly vastly different from their upbringing. Students are tasked with completing daily living activities without any oversight from parental figures.

Furthermore, students may experience symptoms of anxiety including worry related to social adjustment in making new friends (Shim, S and Ryan, A. M., 2009). Wei, Russell, and Zakalik (2005) described the entry of freshman year as “generally a stressful life period and most freshman college students experience some degree of acute loneliness and isolation and depression” (602). Additionally, Levens, Elrahal, and Sagui (2016) attributed the increase in depression amongst freshman students to that of students leaving their familiar environment to reside alone noting that this transition “can have negative consequences, including increased level of stress” (p. 343). Given the above information, we propose that undergraduate institutions should provide a course or workshop geared toward assisting freshman students adjust to their new learning environment encompassing areas of emotional, social, physical, and intellectual well-being.

Theoretical approaches to enhancing emotional wellbeing of freshman learning

            Research amongst freshmen entering college commonly list concerns of lowered emotions related to the transition from a familiar environment to an unknown environment. Universities across the globe have started to introduced programs such as “freshman learning communities” (Jaffe, 2007, p. 65) as a bridge to help students not only successfully integrate into college but also remain enrolled after their first year of collegiate studies. Some universities have tailored these programs to attract specific populations of students such as creating programming for minority and international students to attend a week long move in and introduction to the college community scheduled prior to the schools’ regular start date. For instance, the University of Northern Iowa traditionally houses a program called JumpStart that welcomes minority and internal students on campus one week early while offering courses to prepare these students for integration into a school with a small international and minority community. Programs of the above nature draw on varying resources to adhere to various learning domains impacted by this transitional period including presentation of resources available for emotional well-being, academic resources such as tutoring services, and community integration. Students are often grouped together in first year courses allowing social bonding to begin prior to entry into the classroom.

            MacKeracher (2004) points out that many adults enter new learning experiences with an emotion already attached to the learning experience generally “under stress and arousal” (p. 126). Therefore, we believe providing a workshop geared at addressing potential stressors experienced by freshman college students prior to the inaugural first day of classes could help enhance students’ readiness and emotional abilities to handle their ongoing transition. MacKeracher (2004) noted that if adult learners are exposed to “information overload, competition, exposure of inadequacies, discounting of personal experience” that “the learner may withdraw or become self-defensive and appear to lack motivation” (p. 126). For instance, the workshop would commence one week before classes started and offer breakout groups to address concerns related known anxieties experienced by freshman. Allowing students to meet faculty and hear work expectations prior to the commencement of classes, introduction of campus medical and mental health professionals in a collaborative environment, offering of engagement in social outings, and grouping of students into learning groups may all help to increase emotional well-being prior to entering the new learning environment.

Summary and Reflection

            Emotions impact the learning experiences of individuals through increased arousal states. Individuals may experience positive or negative arousal states directly impacting their learning experiences. In relation to freshman students, freshman students enter a state of uncertainty as they transition from a familiar home and school environment into an autonomous foreign environment. Students are tasked to rely on their self-coping skills to tackle new learning experiences. As educators and researchers have studied this transitional period, universities continue to implement programming aimed at improving freshmen well-being, success, and retainment throughout their collegiate experiences. It is our hope that through the implementation of emotional well-being programming prior to entry into the instructional classroom, that the relationship between emotions and learning of freshman students will be enhanced and sustained throughout their collegiate career.

            Reflecting upon this assignment created an opportunity to draw upon prior undergraduate experiences. As a former University of Northern Iowa Jumpstart student, the ability to attest to the emotional and social gains through a program providing a transitional linkage into a foreign environment cannot be underscored. The ability to decrease arousal states and increase social connectedness to a new environment drastically improved many participants’ experiences in the program. This appeared to be the most fascinating part of the assignment as it allowed me to reminisce on my first year of college. The greatest difficulty while completing this assignment was attempting to narrow down major themes and effectively describe how emotions directly impact learning experiences of students. The amount of programs hosted by universities to help ease the freshmen transition onto campus also served as a pleasant surprise. The demands of group work continue to create a time management struggle for me. I reside within a different time zone often creating deadline difficulties. Due to this assignment

Table 1. Summary of theoretical ideas

The main theoretical ideas

Summary of how to apply the main theoretical ideas in practice

Creating a workshop or course to foster the connection of emotional well-being and learning experiences

Create a workshop for freshman students focusing on emotional well-being while transitioning from home to school environment Provide introduction to instructional staff and overview of expected academic standards to help reduce anxiety Provide introduction to campus medical and health personnel Provide collaborative learning groups throughout workshop Allow for differing methods of facilitation including group, experiential, and lecture base

References

Christie, H., Tett, L., Cree, V. E., Hounsell, J. and McCune, V. (2008). A real rollercoaster of

confidence and emotions’:  learning to be a university student. Studies in Higher  

Education, 33(5), 567 – 581, doi:  10.1080/03075070802373040

Jaffe, D. (2007). Peer cohorts and the unintended consequences of freshman learning

communities. College Teaching, 55(2), 65 – 71.

Levens, S. M., Elrahal, F., Sagui, S. J. (2016). The role of family support and perceived                    stress reactivity in predicting depression in college freshman. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 35(4), 342 – 355, doi:  10.1521/jscp.2016.35.4.342

Shim, S. S. and Ryan, A. M. (2009). What do students want socially when they arrive at college? Implications of social achievement goals for social behaviors and adjustment during the first semester of college. Motivation & Emotion, 36(4), 504 – 515, doi:  10.1007/s11031-011-9272-3

MacKeracher, D. Making Sense of Adult Learning. 2^nd ed. Toronto:  U of Toronto, 2004

Wei, M., Russell, D. W., Zakalik, R. A. (2005). Adult attachment, social self-efficacy, self-

disclosure, and subsequent depression for freshman college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(4), 602 – 614, doi:  10.1037/0022-0167.52.4.602,