Learner Motivation Strategies

Motivation, as it relates to digital learning, often refers to a student's desire to participate in the learning process and influences a student's participation (or lack of participation) in course activities. 

 What Challenges Might You Face With Motivation in Your Digital Learning Course?

In a digital learning environment, the "distant" feel of the digital learning environment can make it easier for students to become withdrawn, participate minimally, or completely disappear from the course. Consequently, it's important that instructors find a way to motivate students both intrinsically (promoting personal enjoyment or positive feelings) and extrinsically (via reward or punishment such as grades) (Cull, 2010; Dennis et al., 2007; Lepper, 1988). A critical component of student motivation and the success of the online learning experience is the motivation of the instructor. Student performance, according to Crumpacker, can be contingent on an instructor's skill and level of effort of motivation" (2001, p.1)

InfoLit Strategies to Promote Motivation in Online Courses

A model that can be used to promote motivation in digital learning environments is the ARCS model, developed by educational psychologist John Keller, ARCS highlights the importance of attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction in stimulating learners and maintaining their focus during learning activities. 

Below are examples from real courses of how instructors implemented reflection along with strategies on how to promote ARCS: 

Table showing strategies to improve motivation in digital learning courses
Item Description Strategies to Implement
Attention Students are more willing to invest their time and focus when they are interested in a topic
  • Storytelling, humor, and active learning experiences
  • Posing challenges or novel ideas.
  • Shorter-term thinking challenges and brainstorming events
  • Varying the lesson structure or embedding attention-grabbing elements (e.g., thought-provoking image)
  • Integrate engaging audio and video into your course design.
  • Use jokes, anecdotes, and cartoons to elicit attention and spark conversation
Relevance Understanding how a new skill or information is applicable to or will help them now or later on in life can make a big difference in learner motivation
  • Explicitly state the connection between course concepts and real-world applications
  • Guest lecturers
  • Align learning activities and assessments with student interest
  • Incorporate recent news events and magazine articles into existing course topics
Confidence When students believe they can succeed and feel positive about their achievements and potential, their confidence increases, and motivation improves. 
  • Explicitly state the course and module learning goals
  • interactive rubric
  • allow student choice when possible (choice between learning activities and assessments)
  • provide clear instructions and expectations
  • Promote peer groups
  • Assign roles in discussion assignments
  • Use videos to provide assignment instructions or introduce a new activity
  • provide a detailed and clear weekly timeline/schedule
  • Provide an organized resource center
  • Provide an area for FAQs or Tips for success
Satisfaction To sustain optimal motivation, learners need to have positive feelings about their learning experiences and accomplishments. 
  • integrate a form of external reward systems or praise
  • Student showcase
  • Student portfolios
  • Extra credit activities/bonus points
  • Solicit student input and feedback via discussions, polls, or surveys

Table content adapted from A Powerful Strategy for Fostering Student Motivation Links to an external site.