Towards a pragmatic modeling of learner's complex system by reflecting Boulding's typology at the affective computing space

Abstract

This work reflects Boulding's Typology (BT) of the learner's complex system at the space of affective computing. From this perspective, the learner's emotional state is interweaved with the structural elements of his/her learning functioning (both internal and external) when placed within an educational setting. The advent of new technological achievements in the accurate acquisition of the learner's affective state allows for the redesign of the ICT-based educational settings, taking into account a bilateral approach of the learner's system that involves both cognitive and emotional processes, as reflected in the Valence/Arousal space. Justification of the crucial role of learner's affective state in the design of an ICT-based educational setting is provided with the implications derived from an experimental case-study, referring to emotional responses to IADS-based sound stimuli presented to three age-dependent learner-groups. The proposed affective parameters define an enriched BT that could serve as a basis for structuring a new model, closer to the pragmatic nature of the learner's system.