Development of social mediation and emotional regulation in virtual learning environment research

Abstract

This paper puts forward a series of theoretical underpinnings and design considerations for embodying emotional and aesthetic aspects of virtual (reality) and learning environment (VLEs) in support of ubiquitous teaching, studying and learning. The authors assert that a VLE should be considered as an interactive and sensation-producing affordances and instruments, as well as a mediator of communication and learning. Furthermore, a VLE should be valued as a tool for emotional and socio-structural mediation, as well as for the psycho-social regulation and control over the communication situation that the environment makes possible by allowing users to regular psycho-social distances. Researchers in studying and learning have too neglected emotional and aesthetic factors, especially in the context of network-based learning environments. These factors are examined here in terms of seven levels of observation forming a continuum from the individual subconscious/conscious inter-personal level to the social, cultural, cross- and transcultural levels. The continuum is mapped onto learning architectures, offering a greater understanding of their value as starting points and design considerations for VLEs in regulating learning. The most critical issue to take into account is the users, the human individual(s), and the social nature(s) of using the technologies involved.