Considering Course Design for Affective Learning

Bloom’s taxonomy provides a common language for designing instruction. Although Bloom’s cognitive hierarchy is typically used for designing instruction to help students move up the hierarchy in knowledge, student learning can take place in any or even all of Bloom’s three main domains of learning. Course designers can use Bloom’s taxonomy to create learning goals that will increase learners’ knowledge in the cognitive domain, develop skills in the psychomotor domain, or encourage students to move up the hierarchy in the affective domain from having passive feelings to perhaps more involved feelings. Internalization is integral to designing instruction in the affective domain. Internalization is the process when your affect toward something goes from a general awareness level to a point where the affect is internalized and consistently guides or controls your behavior (Patson, 2020).

Affective learning outcomes are generally linked to explicit cognitive goals. Although instructors and learners may not always be aware of it, some form of values or attitude teaching may already live within the context of the lesson. Perhaps you have considered that there are a few topics in your course that could benefit from some affective learning instruction. The brain’s affective network is responsible for student engagement, and engagement is especially critical for success in an online learning environment. Some learners are already adept at knowing how to learn. Those learners may have grit and intrinsic motivation to keep trying new strategies until they successfully meet any learning goal. But what about everybody else? The Universal Design for Learning Framework (UDL) helps course designers to provide multiple options for engaging diverse learners. When designing for multiple means of engagement, it is helpful to ponder that typical question, “Why do I need to learn this?”

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Instead of focusing on intrinsic learner deficits or challenges, this framework offers guidance to instructors on areas where they might anticipate learners will vary naturally, so they can plan for this variability in advance (Rose & Meyer, 2002). UDL can help course designers to create personalized learning opportunities for students that can highlight creativity, open discussions, a willingness to listen, and a willingness to accept new information. Learners perceive learning activities based on their personal experiences, temperament, academic strengths, and weaknesses. However, UDL presents flexibility in learning activities or tasks that can be adjusted to help students meet their learning targets.

According to CAST, the organization that developed the UDL framework, there are three guidelines of UDL that offer suggestions for designing instruction that supports the interaction of learner variables and learning activity variables which are providing multiple means of engagement, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of representation. There are guidelines and checkpoints associated with each principle to help instructors design instruction to meet student needs. Rather than taking a “one size fits all” approach in your course design, consider offering students choices that will help motivate them to learn online. For instance, students could be given a choice on how they can engage with the learning content such as, watching a video, creating a video, reading articles, or listening to podcasts. You can also encourage expression by allowing creativity with the format that students’ work can take from documents, creating songs, stories, role-playing, or digital art products.

Reflection upon how learners typically learn allows for some observation on how often cognitive activities can intersect with temperaments of emotion and affect. Learners have their own unique belief systems and perceptions that could be influenced by any number of variables such as, coping/self-regulation, current mood, or personal experiences. These variables exist within each student and instructors are a bit limited on how much sway they may have over these variables. When designing a quality learning experience for students, course designers may want to consider how emotion and values can affect behavior and academic performance among diverse students. Noted psychologist Jean Piaget regarded that, at no level, at no state, even in the adult, can we find a behavior or a state which is purely cognitive without affect nor a purely affective state without a cognitive element involved (Clark & Fiske, 1982). UDL presents ways to design for the interaction of learner variables and activity variables through instructional design: One way is to adjust the activity/task- Consider whether an activity assumes certain emotional skill sets or dispositions amongst learners, and design options so that the task remains optional for students who may be struggling with those necessary skills. Another way is to support the learner to be able to cope with challenges within the activity or task. Learning extends beyond task completion. Try to provide learning strategies that will support students in learning how to learn (Rose, Gordon 2014).

Designing a course that includes the affective domain can turn out to be an interesting learning experience for students and instructors. The UDL Framework can be applied using a low-impact approach. Start with just a few strategies – try to consider providing activity options that support self-reflection and self-reinforcement to motivate and encourage students. Effective attitude instruction should include the learner holistically and demonstrate the required behavior that is consistent with the desired attitude. There are instructional strategies that can promote reactions or a change in attitude. Simonson and Maushak (2001) suggest designing instruction that is relevant, technically stimulating, presents persuasive messages in a credible manner, and elicits purposeful emotional involvement.  Even though emotions can be unpredictable, they can affect student learning.