Stress in Learning

 Theory Review: Stress in Learning

Arthur d'Auteuil

Ball State University

EDAC 635

Dr. Bo Chang

NAME	COMMENTTED ON
Arthur d'Auteuil	Amanda Sabo
Arthur d'Auteuil	Mattew Conolly

                    Stress, as defined by Hans Selye in 1956, refers to “a specific arousal state occurring in response to perceived threats to the body or the self” (Mackeracher, 2004, p. 124). Being confronted with new information challenges the learner’s sense of self and can cause a stress response. Many of the effects of stress on the body and mind are detrimental to learning and a good facilitator will help their students manage those effects. Some stressors can actually be beneficial to a learner’s ability to learn and it is the responsibility of the facilitator to appropriately apply those stressors without negatively impacting their students.

Main Theoretical Points

Learning Is Inherently Stressful

                The human brain is constantly taking in information, attempting to make sense of it, and then using that information to build a model of reality unique to each person. In order for learning to take place, new information must be presented that challenges the learner’s pre-existing model of reality. “When we deliberately re-examine meanings and taken-for-granted personal models of reality, we may feel uncomfortable or anxious. When our personal model of reality is called into question by someone else, we may feel distressed or disoriented” (Mackeracher, 2004, p. 8). For example, an adult learner who has returned to math class after many years away from formal education almost certainly already knows what a fraction is and probably has some idea of how to deal with them; but when their instructor introduces a new strategy for working with fractions that they don’t understand, the learner is then forced to re-examine their personal model of fractions that the instructor has called into question. In this scenario some adult learners can become defensive and irritable at which point the facilitator should find a way to de-escalate, such as speaking in a calmer tone or taking a break. Any learning requires some kind of self re-examination and thus has the potential to cause the learner stress. The more strongly their model is challenged, the stronger the feelings of stress can be.

Application

                  The learning process may come with its own stressors naturally built in, but learners face many other stressors outside of the learning environment that can affect their capacity and readiness to learn. Facilitators should strive to minimize as many negative stressors as they can in the learning environment so as to not add on to whatever external stressors the learners may be feeling. In a 2020 study comparing levels of stress in online students vs in-class students, Lazarevic found that “the online learning environment imposes less stress on students due to the flexibility of online learning activities”. Without being locked into the stricter scheduling of a regular class, the online students were able to enjoy more flexibility to study and complete assignments on their own time and at their own pace. In this example, removing those extraneous stressors allowed the online students more mental and emotional energy to handle the inherent stress of learning the material for the course.

Effects of Stress

                Stress can cause many measurable physiological and mental symptoms such as elevated heart rate, sweating, increased blood pressure, etc. These effects can initially make the learner more alert and focused, but if the stressor is not identified and managed then those symptoms can be followed by confusion, disorientation, and distortion of reality. To an observer this may make the learner appear withdrawn or self-defensive. As the learner’s ability to communicate sharply drops they may start repeating themselves or speaking in incomplete sentences (Mackeracher, 2004, p. 125-126). In extreme cases, stress may cause an individual to even begin hyperventilating or have some other health crisis. For this reason it is important for facilitators to ensure that their students are aware of any mental health support services that are available to them.

Application

                    When these feelings of stress are present in the learning environment, they almost always have a negative impact on the potential for learning to occur. Oftentimes many of these stressors are actually from external sources that are not directly related to that facilitator or the intended learning experience. According to Rudland (2019) it is important for the facilitator to try to “help the learner to avoid stressors that are extraneous to the learning task because these will impair the achieving of the task.” The learner will already be feeling stress from whatever they are trying to learn and added stress (even from a different source) would only make things worse. Many stressors can be easily avoided by setting up a tidy, quiet, and safe learning environment so that the learner can feel more relaxed and comfortable. The facilitator could also moderate their speech to avoid loud, harsh words in lieu of a calmer, more patient tone. While it is important for the learners to develop their own strategies for coping with stress, the facilitator also has a responsibility to make an effort to minimize those stressors that they do have control over.

Managing Stress

                    Adult learners are often thought of as having more well-developed responses to feelings of stress since they have had more time to learn self-regulating and/or coping strategies. However, their experience may actually result in a more rigid mindset that is more resistant to change. When they are presented with new information that challenges their previous experiences, they may actually have a higher stress response than younger learners (Mackeracher, 2004). Rudland (2019) offers several examples of factors that can contribute to an individual’s ability to learn in a stressful environment. Firstly, the learner must appraise the stressor to see how important it is and whether or not they believe they can cope with it. The complexity of the situation can also play a large role. A loud environment with many people is probably more stressful than a quiet, one-on-one interaction. The learner’s mindset can also be an important factor in managing stress. When people are taught some of the benefits of being under stress, they are then able to perform better while under stress. Some learners may simply possess personality traits that predispose them to be better or worse at managing their stress.

Application

                    Facilitators need to get to know their learners so that they can provide managing strategies appropriate to each individual. Facilitators should be sensitive to the fact that their learners will have other commitments and stressors outside of the learning environment and if the learner is feeling distress stemming from these outside sources it can very negatively affect their performance in the learning environment. In their 2014 study, Stress Health,  Slavich notes that “it is estimated that less than 25% of college students who require treatment for a psychiatric or drug-related disorder seek professional help” (p. 3). Facilitators should make an effort to promote available mental health services to their learners and should exercise professionalism and discretion (unless they are legally obligated to report something shared with them) when communicating with their learners about these potentially sensitive issues.

Distress vs. Eustress

                    Historically, the term ‘stress’ was used as a general term to describe a state of arousal and did not carry the same negative connotations that it has today. Today when we hear the word ‘stress’ we tend to associate it with the meanings of ‘distress’. Conversely, ‘eustress’, as defined by our friend Selye (1974), is a “beneficial or healthy response to a stress, associated with positive feelings” and can be described as “an optimal amount of stress” (Rudland, 2019). So, eustress and distress are really just two different outcomes or responses to the general feelings of stress. Because of the erroneous association with ‘distress’ these days, all levels of stress tend to be seen as bad; however, more and more research is coming out in support of the idea that feelings of some stress may actually be beneficial to learning if it can be channeled into feelings of eustress instead of distress. Kromann (2010) noted that the spike in cortisol associated with the body’s natural arousal due to stress “switches the brain into learning mode, thereby enhancing the consolidation of newly learned material”.

Application

                    It is important to note that intentionally triggering and using eustress to improve learning is a delicate task. To much stress will cause the learner to fall into distress, feelings of which have a devastating effect on learning. In order for stress to contribute positively to the learning experience it must be contextually relevant to the learning and it cannot be overly strong. For example, shouting abuse at your chemistry students is not likely to increase their retention of the material (though it will probably increase their retention of memories of your behavior); but introducing a milder, contextually relevant stressor like demonstrating a highly volatile chemical reaction would likely cause that spike in cortisol and increase their likelihood of feeling engaged and later recalling the lesson.

Reflection

Highlights

                    Facilitators should be aware of the differences between arousal and distress in their learners and how to make use of the former while minimizing and avoiding the latter. To do this effectively it is important that facilitators understand potential external stressors on their students. While it is the responsibility of the individual learner to seek out assistance with managing their stress as needed, the facilitator also has a responsibility to inform their learners or available resources and to promote a safe learning environment whenever possible. 

Process

                    I was initially too nervous and unsure about this assignment to even know where to begin. Luckily I am in a group with some remarkably organized people who helped me get my proverbial foot in the door. Once I started digging through articles and studies through BSU's OneSearch program I was able to quickly come up with the four theoretical points I wanted to use. Once I had my main ideas I filled in the summary table below with those ideas and some short applications. The hardest part was the initial research to find my sources, once that was over it felt like the paper almost wrote itself! The final step was to get it formatted and posted to the blog (this was the second hardest part). I selected this topic because I deal with adult learners every day as a math instructor at a local community college. I learned quite a bit more than I expected to while writing this and I am excited to try to apply some of these concepts to my facilitating.

Main Theoretical Points	Application in Practice
Learning Is Inherently Stressful	It is important to understand your learners’ models of reality so that you can work with those models instead of against them
Effects of Stress	Facilitators may not be able to alleviate external stressors, but they can try to minimize stressors in the immediate learning environment
Managing Stress	The facilitator has a responsibility to help their students find ways to positively manage their stress
Distress vs. Eustress	Increased levels of stress (up to a point) have been shown to facilitate learning. By introducing mild stressors like a time limit or light competition a facilitator could encourage a state of eustress in the learners

References

Kromann, C. B., Jensen, M. L., & Ringsted, C. (2010). Stress and learning: Commentaries.

Medical Education, 44(10), 950-952. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03817.x

Lazarevic, B., & Bentz, D. (2021). Student perception of stress in online and face-to-face 

learning: The exploration of stress determinants. The American Journal of Distance Education, 35(1), 2-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1748491

MacKeracher, D. (2004). Making Sense of Adult Learning. Toronto: University of Toronto 

Press.

 Rudland, J. R., Golding, C., & Wilkinson, T. J. (2020). The Stress Paradox: How Stress Can

Be Good for Learning. Medical Education, 54(1), 40-45. https://doi.org/10.1111?medu.13830 

Selye, H. (1974). Stress Without Distress. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott. 

Slavich, G., & Toussaint, L. (2014). Using the Stress and Adversity Inventory as a Teaching

Tool Leads to Significant Learning Gains in Two Courses on Stress and Health. Stress and Health, 30(4), 343-352. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2523