Emotional Value in Online Education: A Framework for Service Touchpoint Assessment
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The subject of the study is current and appropriate to the scope of the journal. The method of the study should be clearly stated in the abstract. The theoretical background of the study is well-structured. The quality of the article can be increased by adding a literature review section. Reliability information about the evaluation system can be presented. Presenting the findings with infographics increased the intelligibility of the subject. Have you consulted expert opinions about the developed system? should be explained in more detail. In addition, it should be presented how the system can be used by those who want it.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer:
We would like to express our sincere thanks to you for the constructive and positive comments. We have answered your queries individually as follows:
Point 1: The method of the study should be clearly stated in the abstract.
Response 1: Thanks to the reviewer for the suggestion. We have revised the contents of the manuscript in response to the reviewers' suggestions. In response to your recommendation, we have added a description of the research methods to the Abstract section of the manuscript to enhance its clarity (line 9, line 15).
Point 2: The quality of the article can be increased by adding a literature review section.
Response 2: Based on the reviewer's recommendations, we increased the number of references in the literature review part to enhance the article's quality and reliability. This is especially evident in the background description (line 29, line 37) and study techniques section (lines 61-66, lines 73-78).
Point 3: Reliability information about the evaluation system can be presented.
Response 3: As requested by the reviewer, we have provided an explanation of the assessment system's dependability. Adding a description of the benefits and validity of the research method in section 2.3 of the paper increases the rationality of the derived evaluation system (lines 194-205).
Point 4: Presenting the findings with infographics increased the intelligibility of the subject. Have you consulted expert opinions about the developed system? should be explained in more detail.
Response 4: On the basis of the reviewer's recommendation, we consulted design professors (who have solid UX knowledge and experience with the platform) about the resulting system, and they evaluated the findings using Nelson Norman principles. The results acquired indicate that the analysis and optimization strategy of service touchpoints presented in this paper is valid. In the text, we provide additional information about the verification procedure (lines 360-362).
Point 5: In addition, it should be presented how the system can be used by those who want it.
Response 5: The application of the research results in the field of online education has been enhanced by the inclusion of a detailed description of the system utilization method in Section 5.3 (lines 348-359).
Again, we appreciate the reviewer's suggestions. And we sincerely hope that our responses and revisions are satisfactory.
With best regards,
Ning Song
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Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
The manuscript designs an online education service touchpoint evaluation method based on user emotional valence and aims to combine psychological research with service evaluation to investigate the relationship between online education services and user emotional valence across multiple dimensions.
The research is an excellent starting point. The objectives and the research methods are clearly presented. The authors should:
1. Explain how the small sample size affect the relevance of the study.
2. Explain how the study is affected by the fact that there are more girls in the sample than boys. Is the sample size relevant to the number of students in the institution?
3. Present how the results of the study can be use by the management/teachers/parents.
4. Discuss whether or not the methodology can be adapted to test other age groups or it is especially designed for learners in this age group.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer:
We would like to express our sincere thanks to you for the constructive and positive comments. We have answered your queries individually as follows:
Point 1: Explain how the small sample size affects the relevance of the study.
Response 1: Thank you for the reviewer's concern. In this study, we selected convenience sampling and randomly selected samples from a class of design students. The obtained samples have an aesthetic basis and allow for a more objective evaluation of the user experience of the platform. Consequently, the effect of tiny sample size on the research results is diminished. In addition, in order to increase the research's credibility, all of the selected samples were given a thorough overview of the Tencent classroom platform in order to enhance the evaluation's rationality and authenticity. In response to the reviewer's comments, we have made additional revisions to the text (lines 254-258).
Point 2: Explain how the study is affected by the fact that there are more girls in the sample than boys. Is the sample size relevant to the number of students in the institution?
Response 2: (1) In response to the reviewer's suggestions, the text contains additional descriptions of the research objects (lines 251-252). This research employs the convenient sampling method, and the sample size is proportional to the number of middle school students in the institution, which includes all first-year design students in professional classes. The research team believes that selecting every student in a class is both representative and random, allowing for a greater understanding of the user experience of the online education platform and ensuring the reliability of future studies. (2) Regarding the ratio of male to female students raised by the reviewers, this study treats male and female students equally as online learning users and does not take gender into account as a factor influencing the evaluation of online education services. We anticipate continuing to investigate this topic in subsequent studies. We thank the reviewer for providing us with a new perspective.
Point 3: Present how the results of the study can be used by the management/teachers/parents.
Response 3: This study is primarily intended to assist platform administrators and designers in optimizing platform functions or service contacts. In the article, the method for applying the research results has been expanded (lines 348-359). By observing the research results, parents and teachers can identify issues that can then be communicated to the administration of the platform.
Point 4: Discuss whether or not the methodology can be adapted to test other age groups or is specially designed for learners in this age group.
Response 4: Thanks to the reviewer’s comment. The research methodology in this paper is general and can be user-tested on students of other age groups, which has been supplemented in the text (lines 439-448).
Again, we appreciate the reviewer's suggestions. And we sincerely hope that our responses and revisions are satisfactory.
With best regards,
Ning Song
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
Line 76 – “Create a five-dimensional evaluation model based on the two aspects of emotional valence and perceptual cognition, develop evaluation methods and processes, and then evaluate online education service connections. Authors should describe the five dimensions and how they will verify the connection between them.
Line 296 – “This suggests that user satisfaction has a substantial effect on emotional valence and is highly sensitive. Authors must specify what they understand by substantial effect.
Line 309 – “Hence, the iteration of the follow-up service system should maximize the contact points of learning materials in order to suit the needs of users.” The authors must demonstrate how to maximize the contact points.
Line 343 – “This study provides a research method for evaluating online education service interaction based on user emotional valence and expands on existing service evaluation methods in various dimensions. Authors must demonstrate how this study expands on the existing service evaluation method.
In the conclusions of this study, the authors place the main conclusions of the same, responding to the objectives of the study, they must also place the value of this study for the understanding of the subject, as well as, future studies.
Author Response
Dear Reviewer:
We would like to express our sincere thanks to you for the constructive and positive comments. We have answered your queries individually as follows:
Point 1: Line 76 – “Create a five-dimensional evaluation model based on the two aspects of emotional valence and perceptual cognition, develop evaluation methods and processes, and then evaluate online education service connections. Authors should describe the five dimensions and how they will verify the connection between them.
Response 1: Thank you for the reviewer's suggestion. In response to the reviewer, we have added explanations for the five dimensions. First, the titles of five dimensions are included in the introduction (lines 93-97); second, each dimension is explained in detail in section 2.2 (lines 143-151).
Point 2: Line 296 – “This suggests that user satisfaction substantially affects emotional valence and is highly sensitive. Authors must specify what they understand by substantial effect.
Response 2: According to the reviewer's suggestion, we added to the paper's explanation the effect of emotional valence on user satisfaction (lines 370-371). Thus, when the contentment of service touchpoints is high, the user satisfaction, activation, and dominance of the respective touchpoints are also high. Conversely, when service contact point satisfaction is low, the corresponding contact point's affective valence value is also low.
Point 3: Line 309 – “Hence, the iteration of the follow-up service system should maximize the contact points of learning materials in order to suit the needs of users.” The authors must demonstrate how to maximize the contact points.
Response 3: Thank you for the reviewer’s contribution to this research. According to the requirements of the assessors, we have added specific strategies for optimizing service contacts (lines 391-395). In addition, after being reminded by the reviewer, we determined that the word "maximization" in this context is readily misunderstood, so we replaced it with "optimization."
Point 4: Line 343 – “This study provides a research method for evaluating online education service interaction based on user emotional valence and expands on existing service evaluation methods in various dimensions. The authors must demonstrate how this study expands on the existing service evaluation method.
Response 4: In accordance with the suggestion of the reviewer, we contrasted the research method proposed in this study to the current service evaluation method and discussed the addition of this study to the current service evaluation method (lines 427-430).
Point 5: In the conclusions of this study, the authors place the main conclusions of the same, responding to the objectives of the study, they must also place the value of this study for the understanding of the subject, as well as, future studies.
Response 5: According to the suggestion of the reviewer, we have added a description of this study's contribution to future research, and we are very appreciative of the reviewer's insightful suggestions (lines 437-448).
Again, we appreciate the reviewer's suggestions. And we sincerely hope that our responses and revisions are satisfactory.
With best regards,
Ning Song
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
