Emotion, cognitive load and learning achievement of students using e-textbooks with/without emotional design and paper textbooks

ABSTRACT

This study aims to explore how e-textbooks with emotional design affect students' emotion, cognitive load and learning achievement. There were 147 freshman students in total: the experimental group I, II and control group consisted of 49, 47 and 51 students, using e-textbooks with emotional design, without emotional design and traditional paper textbooks. The results reveal the following: Students' emotion after using e-textbooks with emotional design is more positive than those using e-textbooks without emotional design and paper textbooks. Students' cognitive load after using e-textbooks with emotional design is significantly lower than those using etextbooks without emotional design. Students' learning achievement after using two types of e-textbooks is better than after using paper textbooks. Comparing all types of textbooks altogether, emotion has a significantly positive correlation with learning achievement, and both emotion and learnng achievement are significantly and negatively correlated with cognitive load. For the three types of textbooks, the relationship between emotion and learning achievement all becomes not significantly correlated. For two types of e-textbooks, cognitive load and learning achievement become not significantly correlated, disturbed by the digitalization of textbooks. Instructors are suggested to firstly adopt e-textbooks with emotional design, those without emotional design secondly, and paper textbooks rank last.

KEYWORDS:

• E-textbook
• emotion
• emotional design
• cognitive load
• learning achievement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chi-Cheng Chang

Chi-Cheng Chang is a Chair Professor in the Department of Technology Application and Human Resource Development at National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei. He received his Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development from the Pennsylvania State University, USA. His research interests are focused on e-learning, e-assessment, educational technologies and integrated STEM/STEAM education.

Tseng-Chuan Chen

Tseng-Chuan Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Management at the National Taipei University of Business. He received her Ph.D. in Technological and Vocational Education from the National Taipei University of Technology. Her research interests are focused on e-learning, multimedia and information management.