University Students’ Emotions When Using E-Portfolios in Virtual Education Environments

Abstract

This paper is based on a study that aims to understand the emotions students feel when they use the e-portfolio to manage their learning and assessment. The sample was composed of 358 students, and the instrument used was an ad hoc questionnaire. The students were asked to indicate the degree to which they experienced a set of emotions when using the e-portfolio. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that positive emotions are foremost and above average, ranked as follows from strongest to weakest: freedom, motivation, curiosity, and inquiry. The students evaluated negative emotions (disorientation and waste of time) as experienced less strongly. The results point out that younger students feel more comfortable with the use of technologies and specifically with the e-portfolio. In addition, men experienced the emotion “freedom” more than women. On the other hand, students in the third year of their respective degree programs experienced “freedom”, “curiosity”, and “inquiry” when using the e-portfolio to manage their learning. A clear relationship thus exists between emotions, motivation, and e-portfolio use, which appears to confirm that work in virtual contexts with this strategy stimulates student motivation.

Beliefs, emotions, and usage of information and communication technologies in distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Health sciences students’ perspectives

“…Classifications and taxonomies of emotions can be found in the literature. 11 – 17 Attempts have been made to establish classifications of basic emotions; however, there is still no one generally accepted categorization 12 . It is important to remember that emotional reaction improves rather than suppresses learning results.…”

“…Students in teacher education programs indicated that they felt more curiosity and inquiry than students in other academic programs. 12 In addition, when comparing students at the beginning or end of their academic track, senior students experienced more positive feelings, such as freedom, curiosity, and inquiry, related to ICT usage, than newer students. Newer students described more negative feelings, such as disorientation and a waste of time when using ICT than senior students.…”

“…Newer students described more negative feelings, such as disorientation and a waste of time when using ICT than senior students. 12 In addition, it is worth considering the emerging trend related to the exponential increase in the number of online courses in higher education, as students’ presence in these courses is of great concern. 22 A recent study has found that the more students enrolled in online courses, the lower their level of anxiety about learning in them was.…”

“… 25 Another study has found that there is a clear relationship between emotions and ICT usage. 12 To the best of our knowledge, there is no research to date that examined the mediating role of ICT beliefs between ICT-related positive emotions, negative emotions, and ICT usage. Moreover, another study recommends the investigation of ICT-related constructs, such as beliefs, and frequency of use.…”

“… 26 Clearly, more research is needed regarding attitudes and emotions related to the use of technologies as a learning resource. 12 Thus, in the present study, we chose to explore a novel model where ICT beliefs serve as mediators between ICT-related positive emotions, negative emotions, and ICT usage.…”