Affective Support in Narrative-Centered Learning Environments

The link between affect and student learning has been the subject of increasing attention in recent years. Affective states such as flow and curiosity tend to have positive correlations with learning while negative states such as boredom and frustration have the opposite effect. Consequently, it is a goal of many intelligent tutoring systems to guide students toward emotional states that are conducive to learning through affective interventions. While much work has gone into understanding the relation between student learning and affective experiences, it is not clear how these relationships manifest themselves in narrative-centered learning environments. These environments embed learning within the context of an engaging narrative that can benefit from “affective scaffolding.” However, in order to provide an optimal level of support for students, the following research questions must be answered: 1) What is the nature of affective experiences in interactive learning environments? 2) How is affect impacted by personal traits, beliefs and learning strategies, and what role does affect have in shaping traits, beliefs, and learning strategies? 3) What strategies can be used to successfully create an optimal affective learning experience?