The emotional side of the e-learning among nursing students: The role of the affective correlates on e-learning satisfaction

Abstract

Emotions are a core component of the learning process, which impact not only academic performance, but also the way we perceive our training, including the full remote training. The present studyaims to investigate the mediating role played by positive and negative emotions in the relationship between the cognitive and the social presence of the e-learning environment and the satisfaction with e-learning. Based on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework and on a cross-sectional study, our theoretical model was assessed (by using structural equation modelling) in a sample of 353 undergraduate nursing students at an Italian university. The results showed that the students' e-learning experience is related to both positive and negative emotions in different ways, which in turn impacts the satisfaction with the e-learning. Thus, findings highlight the complex interplay between e-learning perceptions, affective correlates and satisfaction with remote training. Theoretical and practical implications related to the development of educational interventions are further discussed.

Keywords: Community of Inquiry (CoI); Emotions; Satisfaction with e-learning; e-Learning environment.