Experiential Learning and the Virtual Instructor: an Emotional Journey across Connected Worlds

In this paper, we draw from management and educational literature to discuss the emotional experience of instructors when designing and implementing virtual learning activities. Using models of experiential learning (Kolb, 1984 and Vince, 1998) we analyse how the emotional experience of an instructor when designing and implementing a virtual pedagogic activity can lead to its redesign. From our findings we identify how the dynamics of the instructor’s emotional experience develop across the pre-implementation stage, the implementation stage and the post-implementation stage of a virtual learning activity. Our findings reveal that instructors of innovative teaching practices start with a positive emotion; however as the instructor progresses through the different stages of the activity, the emotions of the instructor change. We found that an intense ‘anxiety based’ emotional experience can lead to a heightened sense of negativity towards a virtual learning activity, often resulting in feelings of abandonment. Yet these same negative emotions can transfer into positive emotions leading towards a reinvestment in the virtual task. This study presents the findings from three different student based virtual projects that took place during the period of 2003-2008 to form the basis of our analysis. INTRODUCTION The use of virtual technologies to enhance teaching and learning practice at institutions of higher education has gained increasing momentum over the last few years. Undoubtedly, technological advancements and a shift in the composite of students and the dynamic marketplace have all contributed towards the increasing use of virtual technologies as pedagogical tools. Indeed, advancements in information and communication technologies have contributed to the growth and popularity of technology-mediated learning environments (Huynh et al., 2003). Whilst, in the past it was commonplace for bespoke virtual systems to be designed to fit specific course requirements, virtual technologies today are being designed with multifunctional capabilities. This increases the scope of functional uses and allows the virtual technologies to be used in innovative ways across a number of industries, including higher education. Online collaborative tools such as Blackboard, Moodle and WebCT have enabled the design of numerous virtual student-based projects often at a global scale, whilst the emergence of web 2.0 technologies have provided opportunities for further innovations in teaching. A good example of this is Second Life, which although primarily designed for social use, offers tremendous scope to enhance collaborative and experiential learning opportunities. 1 Grewal, S.K. School of Management, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, 01225-383499, [email protected]