Correlating affect and behavior in reasoning mind with state test achievement

Abstract

Previous studies have investigated the relationship between affect, behavior, and learning in blended learning systems. These articles have found that affect and behavior are closely linked with learning outcomes. In this paper, we attempt to replicate prior work on how affective states and behaviors relate to mathematics achievement, investigating these issues within the context of 5th-grade students in South Texas using a mathematics blended learning system, Reasoning Mind. We use automatic detectors of student behavior and affect, and correlate inferred rates of each behavior and affective state with the students' end-of-year standardized assessment score. A positive correlation between engaged concentration and test scores replicates previous studies, as does a negative correlation between boredom and test scores. However, our findings differ from previous findings relating to confusion, frustration, and off-task behavior, suggesting the importance of contextual factors for the relationship between behavior, affect, and learning. Our study represents a step in understanding how broadly findings on the relationships between affect/behavior and learning generalize across different learning platforms.