Abstract
Learning is a complex interplay of several factors. Of particular interest to this thesis are cognitive-affective states that are inextricably linked to the mental effort of the learner and have been shown to play a pivotal role in learning. Despite the growing research on their importance and relationship to learning, measurement of such states during the learning process is still unclear. While most assessments of learning and usability evaluations with Kindergartners and primary schoolers focus on performance, self-reports and inferring from observ-able behaviours, they provide limited insights into the mental effort and affec-tive state during learning or interaction that are essential for a holistic picture of learning. Drawing inspiration from growing body of multi-modal sensing and psychophysiological approaches across a range of contexts in adults, this thesis seeks to explore and understand the role of using such measures in understand-ing learning in kindergartners and primary schoolers. We conducted a series of studies to explore feasibility of collecting such measures and applying them to understand the role of multiple measures in learning across pedagogies and to understand the role of interactivity and immersion in pull-out sessions and class-rooms. Our findings confirmed the feasibility of running such studies and the additional value of employing a host of measures to evaluate the learning. They also reinforced and brought to surface some of the challenges that accompany psycho-physiology in general and children in particular. We believe this work would be a step towards employing multiple measures of data to better under-stand cognitive-affective states in learning, thereby facilitating instruction that is more aligned with the learner’s cognitive-affective architecture. Further, we believe that such methods have applicability in comprehensive usability / evalu-ation processes based on well-defined associations between child behaviour and child action.