Blah: Learner Motivation

While walking around

Stephan, Judith, Jeppe, Mihaela

The Problem

Blended learning: Variety of courses, learning material available

How to get learner motivated to use it?

Too much choice may be demotivating:If I have one book to read, I may feel guilty for not having done so. If I have the library, I no longer feel guilt.

Motivation Strategies (1)

• Reward – Point system– Reputation (but who wants to be “super learner”?)

• Praise– How to get learner to take seriously if not by real

teacher? [But easy to fool people..]– ‘Lying’: adapting level at which praise given– Peer praise (cf. ‘hug’ in Facebook)

• Encourage competition• Punish (cf. Super Nanny)

– Rules and stick to them

Motivation Strategies (2)

• Get learner to state initial reason for wanting to learn, and use this later

• Get learner to set goals (and if not capable, scaffold goal setting)

• Give feedback related to learning goal/ initial motivation• Recommend activities related to learning goal/ initial

motivation• Show how others are getting on (cf. open learner

models)• Establish a routine

– Regular small activities (e.g. rate one thing on login, learn one word each day)

– Explicitly ask/remind

Motivation Strategies (3)

• Provide fixed opportunities: limit availability• Make learning fun

– Use a dialogue / Socrates approach– Use games / playing– Reward entertainment (but quality…)– Challenge (at right levels)

• Provide community feeling• Show real-world relevance

– Input older students/graduates/business– Responsibility / Role models– Real world use in tasks

Motivation Strategies (3)

• Provide fixed opportunities: limit availability• Make learning fun

– Use a dialogue / Socrates approach– Use games / playing– Reward entertainment (but quality…)– Challenge (at right levels)

• Provide community feeling• Show real-world relevance

– Input older students/graduates/business– Responsibility / Role models– Real world use in tasks