PPIG 2011 - 23rd Annual Workshop
Self-Reporting Emotional Experiences in Computing Lab Sessions: An Emotional Regulation Perspective
Judith Good, Jon Rimmer, Eric Harris, Madeline Balaam
Abstract: This paper reports on a study in which we compared two technologies for the self-reporting of emotional experience when learning to program: EmoSense and the Subtle Stones. Students used each technology concurrently during their computing lab sessions to report on the emotions that they experienced while programming, such as frustration, enjoyment, pride, etc. We found that the Subtle Stone, a tangible, hand-held device, was preferred by students, and offered a number of advantages over EmoSense, a desktop based widget. Most notably, it allowed students to become more aware of the emotions they were experiencing, and to change their behaviours and problem solving strategies as a result of this increased awareness. Because of its visibility, the Subtle Stone also allowed students to become more aware of each others’ emotional states, and to respond in helpful ways. We argue that the preference for the Subtle Stone can usefully be considered through the lens of emotional regulation, and the opportunities that the Subtle Stone provides for both self and mutual regulation.