Group 2 Syllabus Design: Emotions in Learning by Shea, Moriah, Lacey, and Samiaya

Emotions in Learning: Syllabus Design

Shea Harrell, Moriah Offutt, Lacey Shirk, Samiaya Thomas
Ball State University

EDAC 635: Strategies for Teaching Adults

Dr. Bo Chang

October 27, 2024 

Group Members	Roles	Commented On
Shea Harrell	Group Leader, Contributor: Rationale, Process Reflection, Summary Table, References	Kayla McAllister
Moriah Offutt	Contributor: General Information, Contact Information, Course Objectives, Schedule, Syllabus Table: Description of Session Days 1-4: Learning Activities (Specified readings and created all questions for activities), Resources (Readings: Mackeracher Ch.6, Emotions and Their Effect on Adult Learning, Emotional Intelligence, Frameworks, Charts, Diagrams & Graphs,  Principles of Adult Learning & Instructional Systems Design, Lawson Ch. 5-8 & Videos: Emotion Wheel, 6 Steps to Improve your EI) Attendance Policy, Grading Criteria
Lacey Shirk	Contributor: Introduction, Reflection Highlights, Day 5: Description of Session, Activities/ Daily Agenda, Resources (Article and Handout)
Samiaya Thomas	Contributor:Learning Activities

Introduction

Our course will provide a one week learning experience for adult educators to create a syllabus targeted at the adult learner. This course will look at how to decrease stress in the learner and increase motivation all through syllabus design. A course syllabus can be very stressful for learners. There is a lot of information to take in and it can seem overwhelming. When given too much information, learners do not retain everything; they may over-simplify and overgeneralize (MacKeracher, 2004). All of this stress can start taking away from the actual educational experience very early. Helping students to start with positive emotions will help with their motivation and desire to finish things in a timely manner. They will also be more likely to have better academic outcomes and perform at a higher level (Vistorte et al., 2024). 

Rationale

When planning for educational experiences geared towards adults, it is imperative that the instructor consider how emotions impact learning. Emotions shape how deeply and critically people engage with ideas and experiences, and the goals and motivations that inhibit or enable behaviors (Lerner et al., 2015, as cited in Hill, Healey, West & Déry 2021). In order to take away knowledge from a learning experience, there are certain elements that must be present. The learning must first be relevant and meaningful and provide multiple opportunities to deeply engage with the material being presented, as there is a documented correlation between students reporting positive emotions and their level of engagement with the course material (Trigwell, Ellis, & Han, 2012). Instructors should also be prepared to provide relevant and timely feedback (Rowe, Fitness, & Wood, 2015) while also considering each individual student’s preferred level of autonomy (Pekrun, 2006).

With new learning experiences comes new stressors, and it is important for instructors to take the time to build a learning environment that is safe and built on positive experiences. This can be accomplished by prioritizing making connections with students at the start of a course or workshop, as pedagogical partnerships lead to learners who feel ownership over their learning, resulting in a more engaged group (Hill, Healey, West, Déry, 2019). These connections begin on the very first day of a learning experience where a majority of instructors review the same thing: the syllabus.

Our course, “The Stress Free Syllabus: Sustaining Achievement in Adult Learners by Redesigning Your Syllabus,” was created to help facilitators create or re-make their course syllabus with adult emotions in mind. The week-long course focuses on how to consider emotions and stress when planning adult learning opportunities, with multiple opportunities for self-reflection and collaborative work. This course considers the facilitator as a learner by providing resources and immediate feedback related to their learning as well as providing autonomy with independent work sessions that allow participants to come away from the course with something they can immediately implement.

Week-long Workshop:

The Stress Free Syllabus: Sustaining Achievement in Adult Learners by Redesigning Your Syllabus 

Target Audience: Current and Future Facilitators of Adult Learners

Slots Available: 20 participants

Location: In-Person with Virtual option available

Dates: Monday, November 4, 2024 - Friday, November 8, 2024

Time: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Daily Lunch Break: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

 

Contact Information: 

 

Instructor	Contact Information	Office Hours
Shea Harrell	shea.harrell@bsu.edu	Please email instructors with any questions and/or concerns about the workshop. Please allow 24 hours for a response. Thank you!
Moriah Offutt	moriah.offutt@bsu.edu
Samiaya Thomas	sythomas@bsu.edu
Lacey Shirk	lacey.shirk@bsu.edu

Course Objectives: 

1. Positive Emotions: Participants will be able to define and understand the impact of positive emotions on the adult learner. They will analyze their current course syllabus and determine how accessible it is to the adult learner.
2. Negative Emotions: Participants will be able to define and understand the impact of negative emotions on the adult learner. They will be able to determine how emotional intelligence can improve these emotions.
3. Using Stress Appropriately: Participants will be able to define stress and how it impacts the learner, identify signs of stress and identify ways to alleviate or  properly cope with stress.
4. Syllabus Simulation: Participants will be able to design or redesign their course syllabus and present it to their peers. Participants will receive feedback about their new syllabus from their peers. 
5. Debrief & Reflect: Participants will learn about how crucial it is to provide adult learners with the opportunity to debrief and reflect on experiences as a means to manage emotions. Participants will complete a workshop evaluation that will allow them to debrief and provide reflections about the sessions and overall workshop.

Schedule:

Day/Time of Session	Description of Session	Activities/Daily Agenda	Resources Used: Readings/Videos
Day 1: Monday November 4, 2024 Session: Using Positive Emotions to Enhance Education Time:  8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Lunch Break:  12:30 PM - 1:30 PM	Lead Instructor: Moriah Offutt  Co-instructors: Shea Harrell, Samiaya Thomas & Lacey Shirk Welcome and Introductions: Instructors will welcome participants to day one of the workshop, everyone will participate in a brief introduction of themselves and their current role. We will collaborate to create five norms for our week-long workshop. Participants will review their current course syllabus and answer the accompanying questions. They will complete short readings and view short videos to understand how positive emotions contribute to, enhance and improve the teaching and learning process. Session will begin with participants watching a short video, Emotion Wheel-How to use it, then they will discuss observations and important takeaways. Next, participants will read chapter 6 in Making Sense of Adult Learning, they will answer accompanying questions. Participants will complete an Emotional Intelligence Test and results will be discussed the following day.	Participants will bring current course syllabus, they will analyze the document and answer the questions below:  1. What demands or  responsibilities do adult learners have in their daily lives? Consider  professional (job) and personal (family dynamics) responsibilities.  2. Do you believe your current syllabus is accessible to the adult learner? Why or why not? 3. What revisions would you make to your current syllabus to make it more accessible to the adult learner?  Participants will read: Chapter 6 in Making  Sense of Adult Learning then answer the questions below. 1. How do positive emotions affect the learner? 2. Reflect back to a time when you felt great about a teaching or learning experience. What made that experience positive? What emotions did you encounter as a result of that experience? How did that experience impact the way you approached new learning? 3. How do these positive emotions motivate you to learn?	Emotion Wheel- How to use it Book: Making Sense of Adult Learning by Dorothy Mackeracher (Chapter 6, reading will be uploaded for participants) Emotional Intelligence Quiz
Day 2: Tuesday November 5, 2024 Session: Negative Emotions- How Do They Affect Learning? Time:  8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Lunch Break:  12:30 PM - 1:30 PM	Lead Instructor: Moriah Offutt  Co-instructors: Shea Harrell, Samiaya Thomas & Lacey Shirk We will review the five workshop norms created yesterday. Participants will complete short readings and view short videos to understand how negative emotions impact and diminish the teaching and learning process. Session will begin with participants reading the article, Emotions and Their Effect on Adult Learning and then they will answer the first three questions. Participants will watch the  video that defines and provides ways to improve our emotional intelligence.  After viewing the video, participants will discuss observations, important takeaways and answer the last question. After they read the article, Emotional Intelligence, Frameworks, Charts, Diagrams & Graphs, they will discuss the results of their emotional intelligence and how the article deepened their understanding of emotional intelligence.	Participants will read  the article: Emotions and Their Effect on Adult Learning: A Constructivist Perspective, and then answer the questions below. 1. How do emotions affect the learner? 2. Reflect back to a time when you felt bad about a teaching or learning experience. What made that experience negative? What emotions did you encounter as a result of that experience? How did that experience impact the way you approached new learning? 3. What strategies or techniques do you utilize to cope with negative emotions so that you can effectively complete assigned learning tasks? Participants will watch the video: 6 Steps to Improve Your EI and will answer the question below.  4. What steps from the video can you implement to improve your emotional intelligence? Please provide authentic examples detailing how you will implement each step into your daily life.  Participants will read  the article: Emotional Intelligence, Frameworks, Charts, Diagrams & Graphs in preparation to participate in the activity below. Participants will review EI results from the previous day.	Article: Emotions and Their Effect on Adult Learning.  Video:  6 Steps to Improve Your EI Article  Emotional Intelligence Frameworks, Charts, Diagrams & Graphs
Day 3: Wednesday November 6, 2024 Session: Utilizing Stress Appropriately - How to Detract or Add to Learning Time:  8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Lunch Break:  12:30 PM - 1:30 PM	Co-Lead Instructors: Moriah Offutt & Samiaya Thomas  Co-instructors: Shea Harrell & Lacey Shirk We will review the five norms created for our workshop. They will complete short readings and view short videos to define stress, identify signs of stress, understand how stress contributes to and diminishes learning and ways to effectively manage stress. Session will begin with participants identifying their current stressors and then we will watch a video that gives a brief introduction to stress. After viewing the video, participants will discuss observations and important takeaways. Students will read the article, Study Review Stress Management Techniques and then answer the accompanying questions.	Identify Stressors 1. Participants will be asked to make a list of their current stressors.  2.They will choose their top three stressors and write down ways they detract and/or add to learning.  3. Participants will select one of their top three stressors, think about how this stressor contributes to or takes away from learning and share this information with the group.  Stress Relief or Outlets  1. Participants will be asked to make a list of how they currently manage their stress. 2.They will choose their top three techniques used  to cope with and/or manage stress. Participants will   and write down ways they detract and/or add to learning.  3. Participants will select one of their top three stress management techniques, think about why it assists him/her with handling stress  and share this information with the group.	Video: How Stress Affects the learner...  Study Review Stress Management Techniques: evidence-based procedures that reduce stress and promote health  https://www.inmed.us/wp-content/uploads/7-Stress-Management-Techniques-Evidence-Based-Procedures-that-Reduce-Stress-and-Promote-Health.-Health-Science-Journal-2011.pdf
Day 4: Thursday November 7, 2024 Session: Simulation Based Learning to Enhance the Educational Experience Time:  8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Lunch Break:  12:30 PM - 1:30 PM	Lead Instructor: Moriah Offutt  Co-instructors: Shea Harrell, Samiaya Thomas & Lacey Shirk We will review the five norms created for our workshop. Participants will complete a culminating activity in which they will redesign their current syllabus. During the first part of the day, participants will work independently to redesign their syllabus. They will use their reflections, analyses and all knowledge gained to redesign their current course syllabus. During the second part of the day, participants will gather with predetermined groups in breakout sessions and  will present their new syllabus. The groups will include  an instructor and 4 other participants  so that students can receive authentic feedback about the accessibility of their new syllabus.	8:30-12:30 Participants will work independently to make edits and revisions to their current syllabus. At the end of their independent work session, participants should have their new syllabus completed and ready to present. 1:30-4:30 Participants will be placed into their preselected breakout sessions, they will present their new syllabus to the group and receive feedback about how accessible their new syllabus is to the adult learner.	Article: Principles of Adult Learning & Instructional Systems Design  Book: The Trainer’s Handbook by Karen Lawson (Reference Chapter 5-8 to assist with Redesigning Your Course Syllabus; reading will be uploaded for participants)
Day 5: Friday, November 8, 2024 Session: The Importance of Debriefing and Reflection to Manage Emotions Time:  8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Lunch Break:  12:30 PM - 1:30 PM	Lead Instructor: Lacey Shirk Co-instructors: Shea Harrell, Moriah Offutt & Samiaya Thomas The last session in the workshop will focus on debriefing and reflection to improve outcomes and manage emotions in learners. The beginning part of the day will have participants reading an article which they can personally reflect on. They will then use this information to incorporate techniques into their own syllabus they have been working on. The last part of the day will be dedicated to summarizing the course as a whole and the course survey.	8:30-12:30 Participants will read the following sections of the journal article: Abstract, Theoretical basis of reflection, operationalization of reflection, study 1, and general discussion. Participants will go to breakout session groups where they will discuss what they read and talk about how this can impact their current practice. They will answer the following questions. What ways can you incorporate reflection or debriefing into your syllabus or course? What do you think of combining feedback with reflection? Is this a technique you plan to use? How? How will you ensure learners participate in reflective activities? 1:30-4:30 Instructors will utilize discussion with participants to summarize each topic area covered in the workshop. Discussion will involve how this information can be practically used and any critiques that come to mind. Participants will be given a one page handout to use as a quick reference guide for the topics we covered.  Lastly, participants will complete the course evaluation survey. There will also be an open discussion forum for any feedback participants would like to share with the group.	Course Evaluation survey  Lacey- Article: Reflection as a strategy to enhance task performance after feedback Handout- Summary of The Stress Free Syllabus Workshop (1 page)

Attendance Policy:
This is a week-long workshop, therefore your daily attendance and participation is required in order to receive your completion certificate. Although attendance in person is preferred, there is a digital option for every day in order to accommodate everyone’s schedules. Please complete our Feedback Form at the end of the week to let us know your takeaways, glows from the sessions and ways that we can improve sessions for future participants.

Grading Criteria and Standards:

Participants will not receive a grade for this workshop. They will receive a certificate after they successfully complete the week-long workshop by attending all sessions, reading all required material, and participating in and completing all activities. This workshop is designed for facilitators to leave the workshop with a syllabus that allows adult learners to access the curriculum. 

Reflection

Highlights

The highlights of this project were getting to put into practice some of the knowledge we have gained from our textbook and other sources we have found. Emotions in learning is a very broad topic idea, so we had to figure out a practical application on how to use this in syllabus design. Ultimately we decided to look at the viewpoint of helping educators try to design a syllabus that lessens anxiety and stress in learners. For all of us, this is a direct application that can be useful in our careers. There are some articles and tools that we can all use in the future. 

Process

We began this assignment with a shared document where we outlined the sections and roles as determined by our initial group plan. The Google Doc was helpful as it allowed us to comment back and forth on where we were in the process and see updates in real time. As we continued working on this assignment, it became clear that the roles we had established during our group plan were not equitable and changes needed to be made for future assignments. We initially communicated through email and then through texts and phone calls as a way to communicate more effectively and quicker. We ultimately determined that we will need to be more mindful with our group roles for the final showcase, as to not overload one person with the majority of the work and plan to meet via Zoom prior to beginning the work on that assignment to divide up the workload more evenly.

Table 1

Summary of Syllabus Design

What the Design Aims to Achieve	Main Theoretical Ideas	Main Activities in Syllabus	Main Methods, Tools, or Strategies
Opportunities for relevant and meaningful learning	Students who were provided with opportunities for deeper learning reported more positive emotions than students who simply did surface-level learning (Trigwell, Ellis, & Han, 2012).	Stress management discussion Emotional Intelligence quiz Attendance options	Students participate in an evaluation and discussion about their own stress and how they manage it. Making a personal connection with the material makes it more relevant to the learners. Students also complete a self-evaluation of their own Emotional Intelligence, with the intended outcome being the same. Additionally, learners are given the option to attend either virtually or in person in order to accommodate their preferred style of learning and personal schedules.
Learning activities that appeal to each student’s preferred level of autonomy	Learners that feel they have a say or “control” in their learning report  an increase in positive emotions, resulting in overall higher level of engagement (Pekrun, 2006)	Reflection activity and course reflection Group-created workshop norms	Students vary in their preferred ways of learning and it is important that facilitators recognize and incorporate that into their material. By having students participate in the creation of the group norms, it allows each student to have a say in the things that are important to them. Providing opportunities for self-reflection also allows the learners to connect with their own needs
A positive, safe space to challenge preconceived ideas and adopt new ways of thinking	Facilitators should encourage pedagogic partnerships in order to establish a learning environment that is collaborative and inclusive (Hill, Healey, West & Déry 2021)	Emotion wheel Syllabus revision and associated group work sessions	Simulation-based learning allows students to put their new ideas into practice in a controlled environment.

 

References

Anseel, F., Lievens, F., Schollart, E. (2009). Reflection as a strategy to enhance task performance after     feedback. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 110 (1), 23-25.     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2009.05.003
Hill, J., Healey, R. L., West, H. & Déry, C. (2019). Pedagogic partnership in higher education:     encountering emotion in learning and enhancing student wellbeing, Journal of Geography in Higher     Education, 1-19. LeBlanc, V.R., Posner, G.D. Emotions in simulation-based education: friends or foes of learning?. Adv     Simul 7, 3 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-021-00198-6 MacKeracher, Dorothy. (2004) Making Sense of Adult Learning (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. Madsgaard, A., Smith-Strøm, H., Hunskår, I., & Røykenes, K. (2022). A rollercoaster of emotions: An     integrative review of emotions and its impact on health professional students' learning in simulation-     based education. Nursing open, 9(1), 108–121. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1100.
Rowe, A. D., Fitness, J., & Wood, L. N. (2013). University student and lecturer perceptions of positive     emotions in learning. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 28(1), 1–20.     https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2013.847506
Trigwell, K., Ellis, R. A., & Han, F. (2012). Relations between students' approaches to learning,     experienced emotions and outcomes of learning. Studies in Higher Education (Dorchester-on-     Thames), 37(7), 811-824. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2010.549220
Vistorte, A. O. R., Deroncele-Acosta, A., Ayala, J. L. M., Barrasa, A., López-Granero, C., & Martí     González, M. (2024). Integrating artificial intelligence to assess emotions in learning environments: a     systematic literature review. Frontiers in psychology, 15, 1387089.     https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1387089