One of my grad school projects involved developing and sharing a perspective of how technology promotes engagement and performance by learners in blended and online settings. Below is a focused literature review from the project.
What are apparently effective strategies for motivating learners in online settings?
Whether a learner chooses to enroll in an online course or is required to do so, strategies must be implemented to help sustain motivation throughout the duration of the course. Because learners are motivated to engage in learning for different reasons, educators should consider having multiple strategies in place to address a variety of motivational factors. Studies of motivation strategies in face-to-face environments have examined how learners demonstrate extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and the part that instructors play in implementing motivational strategies in the classroom (Newby, 1991). Keller’s ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction) model has also been applied to classroom observations to identify if teachers focus more on specific or various motivation strategies within the classroom setting (Newby, 1991). Educators have also looked for opportunities to improve motivation for non-English speaking students that struggle learning the English language (Alshenqeeti, 2018). It is known that “learners learn differently and are motivated by different things” (Alshenqeeti, 2018) in face-to-face settings, and this thought can also be considered when looking at effective strategies for motivating learners in online settings.
When comparing motivation strategies between face-to-face and online learning environments, studies infer online students appear to be less motivated but are found to achieve higher grades than face-to-face learners (Stark, 2019). These learners often choose to participate in online courses based on increased flexibility and convenience of schedule (Stark, 2019). Though some studies indicate higher dropout rates in online courses, others report high success rates that suggest the ability for online students to acclimate themselves to online learning (Stark, 2019). Stark’s study using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) identified lower levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for students in online courses (Stark, 2019). Even so, the same learners expressed that they had the ability to succeed in online learning (Stark, 2019). What supported the motivation of online learners in this study was their perceptions of being able to have more control over their learning experience as well as reduced test anxiety (Stark, 2019). In addition, past studies showed that having prior online learning experience could influence motivation and learning approaches for future online courses (Stark, 2019). Tapping into prior experience may be helpful to online instructors to increase motivation and engagement in future learners that enroll in their course.
While over 30 years old, Keller’s model that is “the conceptual foundation of the attention, confidence, satisfaction (ARCS) model of motivation” (Milman & Wessmiller, 2016) is studied in relation to online learning. This model includes four categories with examples of motivation strategies that can be incorporated into online courses. The component of attention looks at provoking as well as continuing to keep learner’s attention (Milman & Wessmiller, 2016). For online learning, this can be done using media such as video, graphic images, and even comic strips to gain attention (Milman & Wessmiller, 2016). The relevance component is one that answers the question “why do I need to learn this topic?” (Milman & Wessmiller, 2016). It looks at finding ways to meet personal and professional goals of learners and can be implemented by incorporating current event topics into learning (Milman & Wessmiller, 2016). As learners navigate through an online course, confidence is the next component to instill to give them the assurance that they can achieve the learning outcomes of an online course (Milman & Wessmiller, 2016). While this can be a challenge in online settings, videos or emails can be developed with encouraging messages to boost learner confidence (Milman & Wessmiller, 2016). Satisfaction, the last component, can be immediately experienced through online learning (Milman & Wessmiller, 2016). The ability to provide prompt feedback in the form of grades and assessment results is one way to provide more timely satisfaction (Milman & Wessmiller, 2016). Another method is offering the opportunity for immediate application of learning using a discussion board or wiki for showcasing student work (Milman & Wessmiller, 2016).
Gamification is another strategy that can be implemented in the context of the flipped classroom, which is a blended learning model (Matsumoto, 2016). Effective gamification continues to be a popular learning tool that includes the following components: a clear and succinct tutorial, tasks that are learner-driven, a well-arranged platform, and motivation-inspiring and prompt feedback (Matsumoto, 2016). By incorporating elements of game design in non-game settings, gamification allows learners to apply game-like actions to real-world scenarios for problem-solving opportunities (Matsumoto, 2016). For example, first year high school English as Foreign Language students participated in an e-Learning course that incorporated gamification (Matsumoto, 2016). During the lecture portions of the course, students watched as in-game characters presented the lesson, then completed a task that was complimented by the character when complete (Matsumoto, 2016). The home page of the course allowed learners to track task completions, open tasks, and achievement rankings (Matsumoto, 2016). Data results showed that students grades improved post-learning (Matsumoto, 2016).
Motivation strategies also aided in boosting learner motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic. While buildings were required to close, it was believed that learning and teaching did not have to cease during the closure (Nguyen, 2021). An example of this occurred at a Vietnamese university using several technology applications to teach remotely (Nguyen, 2021). Researchers acknowledge that barriers that exist in online learning have worried educators and those researching educational technology (Nguyen, 2021). These barriers include lack of technology experience and support as well as preferences and beliefs (Nguyen, 2021). The study sought to initially identify barriers perceived by students that transitioned to online learning because of the pandemic as well as study the effects of implementing motivation-boosting strategies to learning activities including audio and video clips, pointing learners to websites and social media tools, text chat activities, and the use of Zoom or Skype for video calls (Nguyen, 2021). Adding the alternate methods showed in the results to boost motivation and led to higher performance (Nguyen, 2021).
While studies show that online learners tend to be less motivated yet often are still successful in performance, my research will look deeper into the areas of relevance, self-regulation, and how technology can gain and sustain motivation. Studies also show dropout rates are higher among online learners compared to those that opt for face-to-face environments. That means that for some there have been experiences where the learner is no longer motivated to continue in an online course. I would like to further study those reasons to identify if missing motivation strategies would have made a difference in dropout rates for particular courses. With a focus on workplace learning, research can be done on the role of the virtual trainer, a comparison between voluntary and required online learning, and the motivational needs of employees that seek out online training.
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What are your thoughts on online learning? What online courses have you found most engaging and helpful in your development journeys? Where are there still opportunities to improve online learning, whether in academia or the workplace? Is there still a value in live, in-person learning? Why or why not?
References
Alshenqeeti, H. (2018). Motivation and Foreign Language Learning: Exploring the Rise of Motivation Strategies in the EFL Classroom. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature, 7(7), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.7n.7p.1
Matsumoto, T. (2016). Motivation Strategy Using Gamification. Creative Education, 7(10), 1480–1485. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2016.710153
Milman, N. B., & Wessmiller, J. (2016). Motivating the online learner using Keller’s ARCS model. (attention, relevance, confidence, satisfaction). Distance Learning (Greenwich, Conn.), 13(2), 67–.
Newby, T. J. (1991). Classroom Motivation: Strategies of First-Year Teachers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83(2), 195–200. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.83.2.195
Nguyen, H.-T. T. (2021). Boosting Motivation to Help Students to Overcome Online Learning Barriers in Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case study. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 15(10), 4–20. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v15i10.20319 Stark, E. (2019). Examining the Role of Motivation and Learning Strategies in Student Success in Online Versus Face-to-Face Courses. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks JALN, 23(3), 234–. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i3.1556
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