**1. Introduction**

E-Learning is a kind of web-based system to support learning using computer network as one of learning media via the intranet/Internet. Many web developers compete to develop different kinds of e-Learning systems. Almost all these systems are generally developed based on ambiguous specification of interface's design, mostly ignored the importance of providing desired e-Learning system that can match with learners' implicit needs or desires. Existing open source e-Learning systems are generally developed not for specific learners; it is important to revise the system for specific learners based on specific academic institution.

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

There are little e-Learning system design guides to observe a system that can maximally meet learners' expectations.

desires. In the case of e-Learning system, this methodology can be used to enable inclusion of learners' emotion, as positive emotion has been found to positively associate with learn-

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**Figure 2** shows the diversity of users' expressions that can be used as psychological measurement in Kansei Engineering in Kansei Engineering. Eye movement, face expression, word, etc., can be used as gateway of users' emotions to be analyzed. There are many alternative choices to be used to gain users' emotions related to a product. In many studies of Kansei engineering, Kansei words are used as variable in evaluation and analysis to represent user's emotion related to product. A sample of product used in Kansei engineering is named as specimen.

Implementation of Kansei engineering in education's domain started to appear in the end of the 2000s. In e-Learning system almost all the users are students or learners. Kansei research in this kind of domain mainly focused on learners. Study in [16] explains the element of colors on e-Learning web interface, in the effort to enhance experience. Study in [17] reports the aspect of emotion in interactive e-Learning system with the use of biometric signal and Kansei engineering, by analyzing knowledge and emotion level. Study in [18] proposes a conceptual model for e-Learning using a software agent to recognize and respond to the learners' emotional state during learning phase. Other studies of Kansei engineering in e-Learning can be found in [19] which reports about Kansei semantic space in online database courseware systems and [20] which reports a theoretical framework of playful interaction in mobile learning system. Chen [21], Hussin and Lokman [22], and Lokman [23] are other studies of Kansei

The aim of this study is to observe the relationships between learners' emotional factors (psychological feeling) and the interface design of web-based e-Learning system. The result of this research could be used as guide in ensuring that a selected e-Learning system has a desired interface and function that suit to learners' psychological requirement. This study especially puts its focus of investigation to open source learning management system to be used as

engineering to design an interface of web-based system development.

ing activities [14, 15].

**Figure 2.** Kansei gateway [6].

Usability is one factor to be considered in designing e-Learning system interface [1]. Besides its usability, it is also important to pay attention on aspect of usefulness and functionality [2]. A knowhow to design more persuasive learning interface is one of the critical points. E-Learning system developments are lacking consideration of psychological factors, which includes expressing learners' emotions. This study focuses on observing learners' psychological factors because most of users of e-Learning system are learners.

Kansei engineering has been widely referred to explore the emotions in many kinds of product design including software. This study uses Kansei engineering approach in its investigation of learners' emotion due to its ability to translate user's psychological feeling into a concept of emotion, which the research proposed to be incorporated into web-based e-Learning system design.

Many studies have been performed adopting Kansei engineering in many fields for product development including software or computer applications. For example, it includes emotion and entertainment in [3, 4], emotion and wheel chair in [5], emotion and e-commerce in [6, 7], emotion and textile in [8, 9], and emotion and fashion design in [10]. However, there are only few studies that report about learners' emotion in the education domain.

**Figure 1** describes the basic idea of Kansei engineering which explains recommendations of solution as product design based on what user's feeling. The founder of Kansei Engineering, Mitsuo Nagamachi, Professor Emeritus of Hiroshima University, defines Kansei as a state of mind, that is, psychological feeling and needs in mind [11]. Kansei is referred to the state of mind where knowledge, emotion, and passion are harmonized [12]. Kansei engineering is established as a discipline that successfully assimilates Kansei, psychology, engineering, and statistics [13]. Kansei engineering is intended to improve product development to win users' heart and mind. It has in its methodology a systematic process to discover users' insight responses toward product display via several physiological and psychological assessment methods. This knowledge will then be translated into product design specifications, which formulate a new product design based on user's implicit emotional feelings and

**Figure 1.** Principle of Kansei engineering [11].

desires. In the case of e-Learning system, this methodology can be used to enable inclusion of learners' emotion, as positive emotion has been found to positively associate with learning activities [14, 15].

**Figure 2** shows the diversity of users' expressions that can be used as psychological measurement in Kansei Engineering in Kansei Engineering. Eye movement, face expression, word, etc., can be used as gateway of users' emotions to be analyzed. There are many alternative choices to be used to gain users' emotions related to a product. In many studies of Kansei engineering, Kansei words are used as variable in evaluation and analysis to represent user's emotion related to product. A sample of product used in Kansei engineering is named as specimen.

Implementation of Kansei engineering in education's domain started to appear in the end of the 2000s. In e-Learning system almost all the users are students or learners. Kansei research in this kind of domain mainly focused on learners. Study in [16] explains the element of colors on e-Learning web interface, in the effort to enhance experience. Study in [17] reports the aspect of emotion in interactive e-Learning system with the use of biometric signal and Kansei engineering, by analyzing knowledge and emotion level. Study in [18] proposes a conceptual model for e-Learning using a software agent to recognize and respond to the learners' emotional state during learning phase. Other studies of Kansei engineering in e-Learning can be found in [19] which reports about Kansei semantic space in online database courseware systems and [20] which reports a theoretical framework of playful interaction in mobile learning system. Chen [21], Hussin and Lokman [22], and Lokman [23] are other studies of Kansei engineering to design an interface of web-based system development.

The aim of this study is to observe the relationships between learners' emotional factors (psychological feeling) and the interface design of web-based e-Learning system. The result of this research could be used as guide in ensuring that a selected e-Learning system has a desired interface and function that suit to learners' psychological requirement. This study especially puts its focus of investigation to open source learning management system to be used as

**Figure 2.** Kansei gateway [6].

There are little e-Learning system design guides to observe a system that can maximally meet

Usability is one factor to be considered in designing e-Learning system interface [1]. Besides its usability, it is also important to pay attention on aspect of usefulness and functionality [2]. A knowhow to design more persuasive learning interface is one of the critical points. E-Learning system developments are lacking consideration of psychological factors, which includes expressing learners' emotions. This study focuses on observing learners' psychologi-

Kansei engineering has been widely referred to explore the emotions in many kinds of product design including software. This study uses Kansei engineering approach in its investigation of learners' emotion due to its ability to translate user's psychological feeling into a concept of emotion, which the research proposed to be incorporated into web-based e-Learn-

Many studies have been performed adopting Kansei engineering in many fields for product development including software or computer applications. For example, it includes emotion and entertainment in [3, 4], emotion and wheel chair in [5], emotion and e-commerce in [6, 7], emotion and textile in [8, 9], and emotion and fashion design in [10]. However, there are only

**Figure 1** describes the basic idea of Kansei engineering which explains recommendations of solution as product design based on what user's feeling. The founder of Kansei Engineering, Mitsuo Nagamachi, Professor Emeritus of Hiroshima University, defines Kansei as a state of mind, that is, psychological feeling and needs in mind [11]. Kansei is referred to the state of mind where knowledge, emotion, and passion are harmonized [12]. Kansei engineering is established as a discipline that successfully assimilates Kansei, psychology, engineering, and statistics [13]. Kansei engineering is intended to improve product development to win users' heart and mind. It has in its methodology a systematic process to discover users' insight responses toward product display via several physiological and psychological assessment methods. This knowledge will then be translated into product design specifications, which formulate a new product design based on user's implicit emotional feelings and

cal factors because most of users of e-Learning system are learners.

few studies that report about learners' emotion in the education domain.

learners' expectations.

106 Trends in E-learning

ing system design.

**Figure 1.** Principle of Kansei engineering [11].

platform of e-Learning system in higher educational institution. This study mainly analyzes learners' experience on the e-Learning and translation of emotion to e-Learning interface.

This study attempts to observe the relationship between design elements and learners' emotion. In other words, using Kansei engineering it will translate the learners' emotion into

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This study adopts method of Kansei Engineering Type I (KEPack) due to its simplicity and wide use in many product developments [2, 6, 10, 19, 20, 22, 23]. **Figure 3** shows the systematic processes of KEPack. This study uses KEPack as methodology to process the inputted data from learners about what they emotionally feel after exploring each the interface of

At least five open source e-Learning systems [24–28] can be selected as specimens based on its suitability to be adopted in the academic institution's environment, to be used as specimen in the Kansei evaluation session. The specimens are selected based on their visible differences in design characteristics such as background color and page layout. The selected five specimens in this study are Moodle, Efront, Opigno, Chamilo, and ATutor. Ten Kansei words representing psychological feeling are selected to represent psychological responses learners have with the specimens. The Kansei words are as shown in **Table 1**. This study constructs each Kansei words to five-point semantic differential (SD) scale to be used as measurement instrument in the Kansei evaluation session. In this study one hundred learners are involved as participants. Participants consist of first-grade university students. For further analysis data collection can be categorized according to gender, age, and so on. Learners are required to give responses

e-Learning system design elements; then learner-oriented interface can be proposed.

**3. KEPack**

e-Learning system.

**Figure 3.** KEPack methodology [11].
