Emotion online: experiences of teaching in a virtual learning environment

Citation

(2007), "Emotion online: experiences of teaching in a virtual learning environment", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 21 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/dlo.2007.08121fad.004

Emotion online: experiences of teaching in a virtual learning environment

Emotion online: experiences of teaching in a virtual learning environment

Gilmore S., Warren S. Human Relations, April 2007, Vol. 60 No. 4, Start page: 581, No. of pages: 28

Purpose – analyses how emotion affects the teaching in virtual learning environments, based on the experience of delivering small group tutorials using the online chat-room facilities of the WebCT (an online learning platform). Design/methodology/approach – reviews the methods currently used in virtual learning and recent research. Presents the methods used in the research which focused on 24 online seminars that were part of a 12-week final year undergraduate module. Reflects on the experience of facilitating these seminars, and analyses and codes the logs of each seminar. Studies the emotionality of online teaching, analysing their own emotional responses to teaching the seminars and discusses the factors within the virtual learning environments that give rise to/supported the expression of these emotions. Findings – Identifies three inter-connected categories – intimacy, play/jokes and pride/shame (pride arising for the abilities that the students showed when participating in the virtual learning environment and shame because the tutors had not recognized these abilities before). Concludes that virtual learning environments facilitates greater emotional expressiveness among all participants, including tutors. Underlines the need for the pedagogical implications of this to be understood. Research limitations/implications – explains the research methods. Originality/value – argues that this aspect of virtual learning has been ignored in the research. ISSN: 0018-7267 Reference: 36AN273DOI: 10.1177/0018726707078351

Keywords: Computer-based training, Employee attitudes, Learning, Students, Teaching