The Affective Domain: The role of emotions in teaching and learning.

1. The Affective Domain: The role of emotions in teaching and learning. Zachary Goodell Co Director Center for Teaching Excellence

2. Emotion and Cognition are inextricably linked and perhaps never entirely separate, distinctive nor pure.~William James The separation of the head from the heart has contributed to a fractured education system that produces minds that do not know how to feel and hearts that do not know how to think.~Parker Palmer

3. The Reflexive Mind • Humans are defined by Symbolic Interaction • Language (symbols) • Beliefs / values / behavior (meaning) • Defining the situation (schemas) • The sociology of Emotions • The social “Self” • Associations / Appropriations / Attributions

4. The Reflexive Mind • Locus of our central nervous system • Thoughts • Feelings • Behavior • Thomas Theorem = Mind over matter • Placebo effect • Self-fulfilling prophesies • Redefining the situation • Communication / Interaction

5. Significance of the Affective Domain • It colors every thought and every behavior • Closely tied to the “Self” = self esteem • Self = values & beliefs/cognition/behavior • A strong relationship between affect and memory • A strong relationship between affect and student engagement • A strong relationship between affect high impact activities

6. What is the Affective Domain? • Motivations • Moods • Feelings • Emotions • Attitudes • Beliefs / Values

7. What is the Affective Domain? • Motivations • Moods • Feelings • Emotions • Attitudes • Beliefs / Values • Choice / Power • Relevance • Need • Enthusiasm • Priming • Humor • Community • Competition • Engagement

8. Yerkes / Dodson Law

9. What is the Affective Domain? • Motivations • Moods • Feelings • Emotions • Attitudes • Beliefs / Values • Compelling examples • Emotional contagion • Redefine situations • Small group activities • Group processing • Learning log • Reflection papers

10. What is the Affective Domain? • Motivations • Moods • Feelings • Emotions • Attitudes • Beliefs / Values • High Impact activities and/or sustained activities • The first day of class • Cognitive dissonance • Role Playing • Learning communities • Service Learning • PBL / TBL • Under grad. Research • Internships/externships • Study abroad

11. What is the Affective Field? • The space around people and their environment. • Lighting • Color • Architecture • Climate • Configuration • Sound

12. What is the Affective Field? • The space between the people engaged in an interaction • Safety • Trust • Respect • Power • Communication

13. Implications for course / curricular design • Communication -verbal, written and body • High impact activities (PBL / TBL) • Small group work / learning communities • Service learning • Self – assessment • (reflection papers, learning logs, etc.) • Group processing • Capstone courses / learning portfolios

14. Additional Tips • Share your Teaching Philosophy • Get personal / be genuine / show passion • Tell stories • Use small groups • Frequency reduces awkwardness • Incremental / escalating success builds confidence • Make relevant to life and career

15. Consider the Following Activities • Concept Maps • Reflection Papers, Journaling • Small Group Activities / Cooperative Learning • Perry Game • Role play / Gaming • Confidence surveys / Knowledge Surveys • Free Association = Implicit Attitudes

16. Additional Resources Teaching and Learning in Affective Domainhttp://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Teaching_and_Learning_in_Affective_Domain Learning and Affective Behaviorshttp://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/learning/affective.html Arousal – Yerkes / Dodson Lawhttp://www.skagitwatershed.org/~donclark/hrd/arousal.html Bloom’s 3 learning Domainshttp://www.skagitwatershed.org/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html The Role of Emotion in Memoryhttp://www.memory-key.com/NatureofMemory/emotion.htm