Social interaction and enjoyment: key to learning
According to Lazarus et al (1980) enjoyable activities may be salutary, especially during times of stress and in the recovery period post following a stressful experience. These recovery periods consist of leisure activities (e.g., vacations, siestas, coffee breaks) and have been spoken of as serving as “breathers” and ‘’restorers’’ that can provide a chance to take a break, engage in a form of pleasurable experiences which can induce positive emotions and reduce stress as well as replenishing damaged or depleted resources (Lazarus et al, 1980). It has also been suggested by Diener et al (2002) that this form of restoration may occur as the result of positive social interactions (e.g., feeling protected, cared for and having an enjoyable experience) or by participating in a relaxed activity that leads to increased positive emotions. However, Pressman et al (2009) has mentioned that these activities should typically involve little mental effort, provide a sense of “being away,” form the stressful activity but one that maintains engagement and is enjoyable providing relief from the concerns that normally occupy the mind. These may come in the form social or physical, spiritual, reflective, and travel among others. It has been suggested by Diener et al (2002) that the most common approach for those studying enjoyable leisure like exercising, engaging in social activities, having hobbies, vacationing, and spending time have been shown to improve both psychological and biological functions (Garn and Cothran, 2006). A study by Hurst et al (2013) identified through 180 undergraduate students responses on the exit slips regarding how social interaction impacted their learning, the number of times each response was given was tabulated. Four themes accounted for 57% of the responses. Students believe social interaction: (a) helps students learn from others (23%), (b) makes learning fun (16%), (c) gets students interested and engaged (10%), and (d) allows students a chance to talk in the classroom (8%). In addition to Hurst et al (2013) findings they suggest that In addition to the four themes, the remaining 43% of the responses included 25 different topics: it improves comprehension, makes the classroom a learning environment, helps students become comfortable and confident, prepares students for the real world, teaches students how to work together, makes students want to come to class, helps students develop social skills, helps students improve their communication skills, makes it so students are the ones working in the classroom, helps teachers get to know students better, provides for more ownership of learning, prepares well rounded students, helps time pass and breaks monotony, builds group mentality, and promotes self-assigned roles in groups. This can be associated with what Dismore and Bailey’s (2011) identified in there research as positive feelings are associated with enjoyment, engagement and optimal experience like fun is an integral part of the learning process, because it has physiological effects such as reducing stress and improving alertness which enhance “performance” (Bisson and Luckner, 1996). The concept of fun and enjoyment is the underpinning the concept of “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi, 2015). Flow according to Csikszentmihalyi, (2015) refers to “an optimum state of inner experience incorporating joy, creativity, total involvement and an exhilarating feeling of transcendence.” This optimum state has been suggested by Dismore and Bailey’s (2011) as being a key component for students to discover enjoyable accomplishment and optimal learning when their perceived skill and challenge are balanced and suitable. In addition to the concept of flow, Whitton and Langan (2018) describe fun as a “fluid state” which according to them makes learners feel good and engage with learning better. Feldberg (2011:12) indicates that fun has a positive effect on the learning process for creating a state of “relaxed alertness” which allows the suspension of one’s social inhibitions, improve the ability to control stress. And may contribute to the maintenance of cognitive functioning and emotional growth (Crosnoe et al., 2004). Interestingly as much as research have shown the befits of fun and enjoyment on learning the Centre for Education Economics (CEE): states “Making lessons fun does not help students to learn, a new report has found. They continue and say that the widely held belief that learners must be happy in order to do well is nothing more than a myth” (Turner, 2018). Likewise, Whitton and Langan (2018) note in their analysis of fun in United Kingdom that many educators believe fun to be unsuitable in the “serious” business of higher education (Whitton and Langan, 2018). These researchers also highlight a need to research whether students believe that there is any place for fun in their university studies. So, for many, fun is seen as having little or no place within learning within the context of education. Research by (Braybrook 2023) asked 90 college aged students ‘’compared to normal classes with no breaks involved how do the classes with breaks compare’’ the breaks were either physical of social interactions, the breathers” and ‘’restorers’’ spoken about above. Among the more frequent of words were fun and enjoyment alongside feeling less stressed and more relaxed. In addition words like more energy, less bored., more engaged, greater focus and concentration were mentioned. When the students were so asked ‘’ I felt that either a physical or social class improved my enjoyment during the class’’, 80% in the physical break class and 87% in the social interaction class said it improved there enjoyment of the class, which highlight questions of the possible inaccuracy and worrying suggestions made by the Education Economics (CEE) in regards to how students should learn. This is reinforced by research into the Wider Benefits of Learning in the United Kingdom who identified a number of areas where enjoyment is produced: the social focus; the range of activities; and the supportive and friendly atmosphere (Preston and Hammond, 2002). More importantly research has shown that in initial education there was a weaker relationship between success at school and enjoyment, with ‘some people enjoying school in spite of not achieving qualifications, others achieving qualifications but leaving with a distaste for education’ (Schuller et al., 2002). This suggest that students learn best where there is a social interactions and connections and where the environment is enjoyed (Crosnoe et al., 2004).
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