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The Power of Emotion (Jun 15)

This document discusses the importance of emotion in learning and summarizes techniques for incorporating emotion into e-learning design. It notes that emotion plays a key role in cognition, decision-making, and memory. The document outlines several techniques e-learning designers can use to engage learner emotions, including telling stories, using evocative images and music, interactive elements, and measuring learner emotional responses through emerging technologies.

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Ashwin
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77 views2 pages

The Power of Emotion (Jun 15)

This document discusses the importance of emotion in learning and summarizes techniques for incorporating emotion into e-learning design. It notes that emotion plays a key role in cognition, decision-making, and memory. The document outlines several techniques e-learning designers can use to engage learner emotions, including telling stories, using evocative images and music, interactive elements, and measuring learner emotional responses through emerging technologies.

Uploaded by

Ashwin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE POWER OF

EMOTION
aAron Pont reveals why getting in touch with emotion is essential for any e-learning designer.

A
ttitudes to emotion and the role it brain that governs emotion. The perceived by Tom Odell. It had millions of us teary
plays in human thought have wisdom of the time was that Elliot would eyed and saw a huge increase in the sale of
changed a lot over the last 50 be able to make better, quicker choices toy penguins. The advert taps into emotion
years. Mainstream science used to without the distraction of emotion. to influence behaviour, and good e-learning
be dismissive of its impact and emotions However, the opposite proved to be true does the same. Conversely, unsuccessful
were generally sidelined as either and Elliot was unable to take even the e-learning often fails because it does not
unimportant or irrational. This is perhaps most basic decisions despite all his other make an emotional connection with
best illustrated in popular culture by the mental abilities being fully intact. Damasio learners.
character of ‘Mr Spock’ the Vulcan First had proven the link between human
Officer in Star Trek. The key to his superior cognition and decision-making, and he EMOTION AND LEARNING
intelligence was his ability to reject went on to inform thinking about the role
emotion and use only logic to make emotion plays in memory and In 2001, the link between emotion and
decisions. consciousness itself. learning was explored in an interesting way,
by Dr Julie Taylor, an associate professor of
Even today the idea that emotion is So, emotion makes us what we are. It drives family medicine in the US. She told a group
something negative persists in some our decisions and influences our thoughts – of medical students at the start of a lecture
quarters, but nothing could be further from even when we think it does not. that they would have to sit an extra exam.
the truth. They were full of concern and anxiety
No sector understands this better than
The breakthrough came in the early 1990s, advertising. A great example is the most about the thought of an unexpected test,
when neuroscientist, Antonio Damasio, recent John Lewis Christmas TV advert in but their distress was short-lived when
published his research on emotions and which a small boy seeks a soulmate for his Taylor revealed it was not true. The purpose
decision-making. He had been studying a best pal, who appears to be a real Penguin. was to use emotion to help the class
patient named Elliot who, after a brain There is virtually no dialogue just the understand the impact on patients of
tumour, suffered damage to the part of the soundtrack of John Lennon’s Real Love sung receiving bad news about their health.
June 2015 Inside Learning Technologies & Skills 49
THE POWER OF EMOTION

“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the


thing we need most in the world,” said award-winning author,
Philip Pullman. There is something fundamental within a story
that connects with us and helps us make sense of the world.

USE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE character, images,


Language is very important to set the tone music and language
and create the desired emotional response are all at play but
from the audience. For instance, if you are how it is used it
hoping to inspire or motivate learners (as really key.
you might in an induction module) then Interactive video
the words need to be positive and active. (or interactive
The author, Karl Iglesias, has created an animation) can
Taylor observed that emotion leads to
emotional thesaurus to help scriptwriters engage emotions but
better retention of cognitive material. She
find the right words to generate the desired also requires learners to make decisions,
said: “Without including emotion in the
emotional response from an audience, explore and become actively involved
learning process, it is impossible to truly
which can be handy if you need some rather than remain a passive viewing. This
engage students.”
inspiration. can be particularly heightened in first
The trick for e-learning professionals is to person interactive video scenarios.
find the right emotional devices to connect SELECT EVOCATIVE IMAGES
with adult learners in the workplace. There EMOTION TECHNOLOGY
are many techniques to choose from and Many learners will engage with an image or
photo before they read anything so those It would be great to have some proof of
all of them can help learners to engage, how learners are responding emotionally to
pay attention, care, understand and elements can play a big part in creating
mood and supporting emotional an e-learning experience, and wearable
ultimately learn. technology could deliver this capability
connection. I will often create a mood
The starting point for me is to ‘go deep’ board of images before starting an sooner than we think. Some really
into understanding the audience. What e-learning project and, sometimes, paste fascinating emotion technology is already
exactly does their job involve? Why do they these images around my desk to remind available which measures skin conductance
do it? What do they like most about their me of the emotions I am trying to engage response, where the skin sweats a small
job? What do they worry about? Armed in the learners. The simple rule of thumb is amount in response to emotional arousal.
with this ‘go deep’ information it is much ‘evocative not bland’. Instructional designer The devices that measure this phenomenon
easier to select the most effective Cathy Moore, whose tagline is “Let’s save are becoming smaller and more affordable,
techniques to evoke emotion in your the world from boring training!” warns so it is no longer science fiction to imagine
e-learning. against the temptation to use “sterile a time when we will be able to accurately
Here are some of the devices I use most images of bland business people” in measure the emotional engagement of
frequently to generate an emotional corporate e-learning – it’s hard to connect learners in real time. Until that day arrives,
connection with learners: with a picture of two people in suits there is a much simpler way to illustrate
shaking hands. the vital role emotion plays in e-learning.
TELL A STORY Try creating a module completely stripped
CONNECT WITH MUSIC
“After nourishment, shelter and of any emotional references or triggers, and
companionship, stories are the thing we Music in e-learning can really divide then seek some learner feedback. As writer
need most in the world,” said award- opinion. This is because it is perhaps the Arnold Bennett put it: ‘There can be no
winning author, Philip Pullman. There is most powerful switch for our emotions. The knowledge without emotion’.
something fundamental within a story that scientist, Steven Pinker calls music
connects with us and helps us make sense ‘cheesecake for the mind’ because it is such
of the world. an indulgence for our emotions. The John
Lewis ad would be diminished without the
Narratives that elicit an emotional soundtrack. Within e-learning, music can
response are the most powerful (as in the set the mood, support a narrative, add
John Lewis ad) but in e-learning they also drama and tension or provide an emotional
need to be authentic and relevant to the cue, but it needs to be used appropriately
workplace. The choice of and sensitively.
characters is
important in So, if you want to evoke strong emotions –
helping to create for example, in an inspirational induction
empathy. Some module – then music is a key tool.
of the most
effective stories EMBRACE VIDEO aAron Pont is Learning Solutions
for engaging Video can tie together many of the key Architect at Sponge UK
emotions involve a elements already discussed and punches http://spongeuk.com
metaphoric journey or above its weight in delivering emotional Twitter: @Sponge_UK
some type of revelation. connection in e-learning. Narrative,
50 Inside Learning Technologies & Skills June 2015

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