Boekaerts & Cascallar (2006)has indicated that decreasing negative student emotions (or increasing positive student emotions) results in improved  self-regulation and overall student course satisfaction. Ultimately, improved course satisfaction can contribute to improved student success (Artino, 2006, 2008). 

In recent years, investigators (Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2004; Pekrun, Goetz, Titz, & Perry, 2002) have described the importance of emotions and their influence on students’ engagement and learning.  Learners’ emotions have the ability to influence the amount of self-regulation that occurs (Artino, 2008, Boekaerts & Cascallar, 2006) and ultimately the student’s course satisfaction. Studies show that learner’ perceptions of positive or negative environmental cues and their interpretation of the experience can affect their achievement. Underlying the research on students’ emotions is the notion of two different learning environments: independent and social learning situations. In an independent learning situation, such as the online environment, socially oriented emotions are self-directed rather than directed at other people (Wosnitza & Volet, 2005). Examples of emotions that occur in independent learning environments are enjoyment of the online-learning experience, hopes of success, pride, and shame. In a social learning situation, other-directed emotions, such as gratitude, envy, sympathy, admiration, may also arise in addition to self-directed emotions. The question becomes how to best tailor instructional methods online so as to minimize negative emotions and maximize positive emotions in science online courses.

I have implemented this practice for the past two semesters. During this time, I have observed an increase in expressed student satisfaction and  unsolicited participation by a majority of students, who have required less direct prompting to respond to discussions and have initiated fewer emails concerning general feelings of stress and anxiety related to the course and/or the course material. However, I also have observed a notable increase in the number of students who have expressed feelings of apprehension and stress about particular areas of the course. As a result of my observations and sensitivity to students’ emotional conditions and expressed concerns, I was able to pinpoint critical elements within the course that were promoting negative emotions and subsequently adjust those elements for clarification and/or to provide reinforcement. Continually changing institutionally mandated expectations for courses, the necessity to keep projects current and relevant, and the unique nature of each incoming group of students render this practice dynamic. I fully anticipate that ongoing clarification and reinforcements will be necessary each semester as new students experience the course and share their personal concerns.

Through the implementation of this practice, I have learned key lessons:

·       Providing avenues for students to express concerns and seek feedback from peers  supports decreased anxiety and frustration by students when completing projects.

·       Frequent and regular instructor communication in the form of reassuring and positive emails helps motivate students.

·       Online tutorials or handouts explaining the details of various course platform systems with incorporated screenshots helps decrease student anxiety and frustration.

·       Online checklists of course requirements helps decrease student anxiety and frustration.

·       The rapid distribution of instructor feedback through rubrics and Google Voice provides students with specific and timely comments and helps decrease student anxiety and frustration.

·       Decreasing negative student emotions supports perceptions of greater course satisfaction.

After becoming aware of the range of emotional experiences demonstrated by online students (achievement, enjoyment, hope, pride, anxiety, confusion, stress, and frustration) as expressed in the literature, I noted that many of my students demonstrated these same emotional experiences. I also noted that they often did not have an appropriate or effective place to voice concerns related to these emotional experiences until I provided  such a place within my course platform.  Once I started listening to their emotional concerns, I realized that I could improve my teaching methods and simply and quickly improve their levels of course satisfaction and ultimately their academic outcomes.

Replicability: This initiative is a pedagogical approach and can be replicated in other courses and different  fields.

Innovation: This practice allows instructors to respond to the unique needs of each group of students in each new semester to improve clarity of direction, instructor/student communication, course satisfaction, and overall student achievement.