Tag Archives: emotions

Perception, feelings and emotions

Thanks to Heli for the link in her post on quality of connection. I think this was a very emotional talk by Dr Brown. Getting “A”s and perfection in the academia is praised as the perfect achievement of personal goals and academic success.  This sort of achievement seems to be very different from our real lives after “school” where we have to live in imperfection.  This reflects our lives with authenticity and that often leads to a crossing between worthiness and unworthiness amongst us as we “struggle” with life.
Shame, fear, unworthiness seem to be “natural” part of life, and an offspring of personal study, learning, career, family upbringing, parenting, and ageing.  I don’t think people would share these feelings openly in social networks, in fear of personal security being hacked or an over exposure of private life to the public.  These have long term implications – on personal academic studies, marriage, career and reputation in one’s life.

People likes to associate with others who could empathise their feelings and emotions, especially when they are in despair, in vulnerability.  Would such feelings of vulnerability be too hard to share in academia, in social networks, or in open connections?  Why?  That would be perceived by others as living without perfected emotional literacy, critical thinking, in confidence, competent at work, or in personal life.  People would only share academic success but not much on life “failures” because that could lead to shame and fear in his or her life.  Isn’t that the dilemma between academic success and personal life struggles (feeling weak and vulnerable)?

Why would people like Dr Brown feel vulnerable?  Have some of us felt that way in our life journey?

Why would we have to numb our emotions, feeling in face of adverse personal issues or circumstances?  Aren’t we all looking for an optimistic way of living?

Would this be a cultural “issue” or an international phenomena?  The “pretend” issue just reflect what many of us are facing – we are living in a society that is so complex, filled with complex issues, dilemmas, and emotions, and advertising memes that so often we could be both fascinated and overwhelmed with information, power and politics, and personal life struggles.

How would we deal with these in social networks? How would emotional education in our society – emotional control & intelligence help?

What strategies have you adapted to overcome those feelings of loneliness, imperfection and vulnerability?

Emotions and their impact on adult learning

In this article on Emotions and their effect on Adult Learning or http://www.scribd.com/doc/35059133/Emotions-and-their-effect-on-Adult-Learning-a-Constructivist-perspective.
– Emotions are important in adult learning because they can either impede or motivate learning (Dirkx, 2001. p63)
– Entering the cognitive system, emotions are recognized and as a result alter thought patterns, affecting the experiences of how adults learn (Opengart, 2005).
– Learning becomes of value in relation to a student’s experiences and construction of reality, underscoring the adaptive behaviors of learning.
– If people are anxious, uncomfortable, or fearful, they do not learn.
A useful summary paper on emotions in adult learning.
The above article refers to the impact of emotions on teaching and learning in the classroom environment.
How about the impact of emotions on adult learning under an online or digital learning environment? How about learning in a complex social media ecology? Or a blended learning environment.
So, I have been wondering how emotions would impact on learning (social networking and networked learning, in particular) since I attended the CCK08. What would you think about emotions and learning from a connectivist point of view? What were your experiences (emotions and feelings) when involved in online courses/networks (e.g. CCK08, CCK09, CritLit 2010, or any other COPs, or Ning Networks etc.)? What are the connectivist principles relating to emotions and learning? How do these impact on adult learning?


John