Body Awareness

Become aware of affective experiences in learning environments

The process of learning is not limited to the brain alone; the body, too, has a crucial part to play. The learning environment affects the body through physical responses, also known as affects, that determine such behavioural modes as the extent to which one is able to concentrate, communicate or grasp a learning concept. Despite being often overlooked, bodily experience has a substantial impact on one’s behaviour and learning.

Affect is a force within the biological, neurological or psychological makeup of a person that allows them to register a connection with another entity or the environment around them. This can manifest as a physical sensation like flushing of the skin before feeling embarrassed, or an intangible feeling that is difficult to express in words (Blackmann and Venn, in Coleman, 2016 p.17).

Despite this barrier to language, affect is a form of embodied knowledge that allows people to communicate their emotions to others. Affect is also “sticky,” meaning it has the ability to attach to people, objects and places, and persist over time (Ahmed, 2010).

Learning outcome

The student is able to notice and reflect on “affective experience” in their learning

Students learn to express and reflect on how their body feels in a learning environment, such as a classroom or a library, covering a few sessions up to an entire course.

1.Start a Personal Affective Logbook

4 hrs

Guide the students in keeping a personal “affective log” on a weekly basis. Encourage them to use a variety of creative methods such as poetry, drawing, painting, music or natural objects to express their affective experiences in learning environments.

The logbook serves a space for experimentation: to attempt different methods of expressing oneself. It is not necessary for students to have a clear understanding of what or why they are expressing a particular thing – rather, they should trust that other unconscious parts of themselves do know.

Share these guiding questions for affective experiences with the students:

How does my posture affect me?
What sensations do I notice in my body at this moment?
Do I detect any tension or tightness in any parts of my body?
Am I breathing deeply and rhythmically?
Am I able to maintain focus, or am I easily distracted?

Tip: facilitate a safe and supportive environment where students feel at ease expressing their emotions and feelings and can fully engage with the affective experience.

2.Reflect on Expression of Affective Experience

15 mins

After each entry in their affective logbook, invite students to engage in a free-writing reflection. Encourage them to take a moment to reflect on the impact that expressing their thoughts and feelings had on them.

Prompt the students to write down any thoughts that come to mind when they recall contributing to their affective log, without hesitation or correcting themselves.

Please note, as part of assessment as learning, students reflect on expressing their affective experience using reflective questions.

3.Engage in Reflection on Affective Experience

15 mins

Guide the students to assess their affective logbook entries and freewriting reflections, allowing them to gain deeper insights into their affective experiences and consider ways to integrate this awareness into their lives.

Please note, as part of assessment as learning, students assess their affective logbook entries and freewriting reflections using reflective questions.

4.Create an Affective Product

5 hrs

Instruct students to create a physical product that represents their non-cognitive affective learnings. Ask students to use the content and themes explored in their affective logbook entries as a source of inspiration for the creation process, as well as their reflections from Steps 2 and 3.

Encourage creativity and experimentation with different materials and techniques to bring their ideas to life.

5.Sharing Affective Products & Reflecting on Learning

2 hrs

Create an immersive and engaging experience that allows viewers to connect with the affective products and reflect on their own emotions and experiences.

Instruct students to showcase their affective products. Encourage students to create a sensory-rich environment by incorporating elements like lighting, music or scents that enhance the emotional ambiance and connect with their affective products.

Ask students not to explain what their affective product (re)presents explicitly. Instead, let the viewers have their own affective experience by engaging with the product. For example, by encouraging viewers to interact with the affective products directly. Allow them to touch, observe or explore the physical aspects of the creations.

Then, ask students to share their learning process of becoming aware of their affective knowledge to the viewers, based on their reflections from the previous steps. Remind viewers that the affective experience is subjective and their interpretations and emotional responses may differ. Encourage them to embrace and respect diverse perspectives and emotions.

Conclude the session by inviting viewers to share their overall reflections on the affective journey and the impact it had on their understanding and awareness.

Please note, as part of assessment as learning, students answer the reflective questions to guide the overall reflections.

Assessing affective self-awareness is a complex task due to its subjective and intangible nature. The student who created the logbook is best positioned to reflect on their own learning experience. Nevertheless, since affect can be shared, others can also connect with it. That is why in Step 5, students are invited to share their overall reflections on the affective journey and the impact it had on their understanding and awareness.

This activity is primarily designed for self-assessment, aligning with the principles of assessment as learning, which is integrated into Steps 2, 3 and 5.

Purpose

Assessment as learning aims to strengthen the learning process and the development of metacognitive skills. It empowers students to direct their own learning and to become independent, critical self-assessors.

Roles

Self-assessment

Characteristics

Self-regulated learning

Materials

Reflective questions

Download Reflective questions (Step 2)

Download Reflective questions (Step 3)

Download Reflective questions (Step 5)

Guidelines to create a safe learning environment (Step 1) can be downloaded below.

Download Guidelines for a safe learning environment

Ahmed, S. (2010). 1 Happy Objects (pp. 29-51). Duke University Press.

Coleman, R. (2016). Affect. In Gender: Sources, Perspectives, and Methodologies. Macmillan Interdisciplinary Handbooks, 15-26.

Mühlhoff, R. (2019). Affective resonance. In Affective Societies (pp. 189-199). Routledge.