Socioemotional orientation as a mediating variable in teaching learning interaction: Implications for instructional design.

Abstract : In this paper we argue that many of the design decisions of modern pedagogical solutions are made unconsciously without articulated view of the issues being addressed by the complex relationship of student's social, emotional and motivational interpretations in learning. We present a theoretical framework for analysing them and discuss of the two empirical experiments, where individual students' social and motivational interpretations were analyzed in a cognitive apprenticeship based technologically rich learning environment. The results of the studies indicate that students with different socioemotional orientation tendencies will interpret the novel instructional designs in subjective ways which subsequently will lead to different actual behaviors among them. We propose that students' interpretations are important variables that interact with variables in instructional environment and claim that this aspect needs more attention in instructional design.