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Evidence and practice for increasing student motivation during distance education: An interactive toolkit

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Experiences - SUPPORTING STRATEGIES FOR STUDENT MOTIVATION

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Introduction

and Tools and recommendations follow. In the last route, we ask you to provide feedback on how useful the toolkit was to you.

Experiences – Supporting strategies for student motivation,

The toolkit involves five routes. After this first introductory route, the routes State of affairs,

In this respect, this toolkit, which is intended primarily for higher education staff and management, summarises evidence on how technologies affect university students’ motivation and provides practical tools and recommendations for fostering academic motivation during online learning.

One of the most burning issues that the pandemic forced shift from face-to-face to online learning brought to higher education institutions was the impairment of academic motivation.

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INTRODUCTION

Evidence on academic motivation during the period of pandemic forced online learning from student discussion groups in five European countries

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Empirically-based strategies and interventions to promote academic motivation

Technology-related stressors/resources linked to academic motivation in the post-pandemic era

Technology-related protective and risk factors for academic motivation during the period of pandemic forced online learning

What is current research evidence?

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STATE OF AFFAIRS

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PROTECTIVE FACTORS

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Empirical research on academic motivation during the period of online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic has provided evidence about various technology-related risk and protective factors. Here, we summarise the most important findings.

RISK FACTORS

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Technology-related RISK and PROTECTIVE factors for academic motivation during the period of pandemic forced online learning

Non-technical teaching staff

Technology-related distractions (e.g., social networking sites)

Technical issues and lack of technological infrastructure (e.g., lack of functional tools, poor internet connection)

Difficulties accepting and adopting new technologies and digital discomfort

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Lack of focus during extended periods in front of the computer screen

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TECHNOLOGY-RELATED RISK FACTORS

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Online learning modalities and methods that provide an instructional experience similar to in-person instruction

Diversity of learning methods

Adequate technological infrastructures and tools

Previous online learning experience

Individual perceived capability to navigate through online learning (Internet self-efficacy and perceived digital competencies)

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TECHNOLOGY-RELATED Protective FACTORS

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Gamification elements in learning environments

Learning environments that promote student-centred learning and/or social interaction

Virtual reality-based learning environments

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Empirically-based strategies and interventions to promote academic motivation

• Students who felt under high technology-related pressure in that they perceived to be forced to work faster and longer due to the use of ICTs (techno-overload) and who experienced a lack of boundaries between work/study and private life due to the use of ICTs (work-home conflict) were more likely to display amotivation.
• Students who perceived high levels of work-home conflict were also more likely to display introjected motivation.
• Students who perceived high levels of easiness in the use of ICTs to reach desired outcomes (techno-ease), trustworthiness of ICTs to carry out the desired activities (techno-reliability), and the usefulness of ICTs as a social communication tool (techno-sociality) were less likely to display amotivation and more likely to display intrinsic motivation.

In conclusion, technology-related factors that have a negative effect on student motivation are techno-overload and work-home conflict, whereas positive effect on student motivation is related to techno-ease, techno-reliability, and techno-sociability. For more detail, see Vallone et al. (2023).

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The results of an empirical investigation on a large sample of 1,541 Czech, Greek, Italian, Serbian, and UK university students, who responded to an online survey between March and December 2022, revealed that both technology-related stressors and resources were significantly linked to academic motivation.

Technology-related stressors/resources linked to academic motivation in the post-pandemic era

Evidence from student discussion groups in five European countries

ACADEMIC MOTIVATION DURING THE PERIOD OF PANDEMIC FORCED ONLINE LEARNING

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Students’ perspective – “What helped me to stay motivated during distance education?”

Teachers’ perspective – “What strategies helped to maintain student motivation in my online classes?”

Experts’ perspective – “How can we support student motivation during online learning?”

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EXPERIENCES - SUPPORTING STRATEGIES FOR STUDENT MOTIVATION

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Students’ perspective

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Teachers’ perspective

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Experts’ perspective

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Recommendations on strategies to increase student motivation during distance learning

Further resources

How do I recognise that a student may need further support with respect to their motivation?

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TOOLS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Student behaviour implying high-quality (autonomous)motivation

Student behaviour implying low-quality (controlled) motivation

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Student behaviour implying lack of motivation (amotivation)

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How do I recognise that a student may need further support?

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• A student feels that they are wasting their time at college;

they see their academic studies as meaningless

• A student tends to skip classes

• A student is apathetic, they lack interest in course content, and show minimal effort to complete assigned tasks

• A student usually does not participate in class activities and discussions

• A student tends to adopt a passive approach towards group work; they overly rely on other students and their work to complete assignments

• A student may express feelings of frustration and hopelessness since they perceive that they lack control over their academic life

• A student displays poor academic achievement but avoids activities that could help them achieve better, such as tutorials or consultations

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Student behaviour implying lack of motivation (amotivation)

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• A student engages in study-related activities to get rewards or avoid punishments and/or to experience feelings of self-worth or avoid feelings of guilt and shame

• A student shows a lack of interest and enthusiasm for course contents and class activities

• A student focus more on the external reward (grades, certificates etc.)

than on the learning itself

• A student only does what is necessary to fulfil course requirements; they avoid non-obligatory classes and extra activities and materials that are unnecessary for passing an exam

• A student shows a lack of perseverance and creativity during solving challenging tasks, they are likely to give up quickly and not to explore alternative solutions beyond guidelines

• A student seeks recognition and approval from others

• A student strives to avoid looking incompetent or not smart enough in front of others

• A student is over-concerned with their academic achievement and becomes excessively self-critical if failure occurs

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Student behaviour implying low-quality (controlled) motivation

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• A student engages in study-related activities out of interest and enjoyment and/or because they consider their academic studies personally meaningful

• A student shows enthusiasm and overall positive approach towards their studies

• A student shows genuine interest in course contents – they regularly attend classes, pay attention, and ask questions

• A student actively participates in discussions and class activities

• A student learns independently without external pressure

• A student seeks out new challenges and opportunities for learning, so that they voluntarily attend non-obligatory classes and engage in activities and materials that go beyond what is required

• A student attempts to fully understand the learning content to gain deep and complex knowledge of the subject and to be able to transfer their knowledge into practice

• A student usually achieves good grades, but is not over-concerned with their academic achievement

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Student behaviour implying high-quality (autonomous) motivation

Recommendations for higher education management

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Recommendations for higher education staff

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Recommendations on strategies to increase student motivation during distance learning

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• If possible, combine online and in-person learning (blended learning approach) • Use primarily methods and modalities that provide an instructional experience similar to in-person instruction, such as the synchronous mode of online learning • In addition to synchronous online classes, provide students with pre-recorded video lectures so that they can learn according to their own pace • Prioritize student-centred teaching methods that allow students to actively participate in their learning

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Recommendations for higher education staff

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• Use a wide variety of learning methods and techniques to enrich students’ learning experience • Provide students with many opportunities for social interaction; this includes group work, group discussions, as well as teacher-student interactions • Include gamification elements and/or VR technologies • Help students find a meaning in what they are learning, for example, by showing them how the course content can be applied in practice or how it relates to other subjects • Create a supporting environment for students: Let them know that you are aware of their struggles and that you care for them

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Recommendations for higher education staff

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• Provide students with adequate technological tools for online learning• Ensure that both teachers and students receive adequate technological training and that there is adequate technological support available • If possible, introduce the transition to online learning gradually to allow students to adapt to online learning • Adjust learning schedules so that there are long enough breaks between online classes to avoid students spending prolonged periods of time in front of the computer screen • Ensure that university teachers use a common learning platform to avoid student overload caused by navigating through various different platforms • Offer support groups for students where they could share their concerns and experiences

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Recommendations for higher education management

Tips for fostering student motivation

FURTHER RESOURCES

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References

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FURTHER RESOURCES

Sauber Millacci, T. (2022, April 18). How to motivate students: 12 classroom tips & examples. PositivePsychology.com.

Williams, K., & Williams, C. (2011). Five key ingredients for improving student motivation. Research in Higher Education Journal, 11

Yarborough, C. B., & Fedesco, H. N. (2020). Motivating students. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching.

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Tips for fostering student motivation

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Haftador, A. M., Shirazi, F., & Mohebbi, Z. (2021). Online class or flipped-jigsaw learning? Which one promotes academic motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic? BMC Medical Education, 21(1), 499.

Inangil, D., Dincer, B., & Kabuk, A. (2022). Effectiveness of the Use of Animation and Gamification in Online Distance Education During Pandemic. Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 40(5), 335-340.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Chan, V., Larson, N. D., Moody, D. A., Moyer, D. G., & Shah, N. L. (2021). Impact of 360 vs 2D videos on engagement in anatomy education. Cureus, 13(4), 14260.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68 –78.

Vallone, F., Galvin, J., Cattaneo Della Volta, M. F., Akhtar, A., Chua, S., Ghio, E., Giovazolias, T., Kazakou, Z., Kritikou, M., Koutra, K., Kovacevic, S., Lee-Treweek, G., Mašková, I., Mavritsaki, E., Nastic, J., Plassová, M., Stuchlíková, I., & Zurlo, M. C. (2023). Technostress and Academic Motivation: Direct and Indirect Effects on University Students’ Psychological Health. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1211134.

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References

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Experiences - Supproting strategies for student motivation

The route Experiences – Supporting strategies for student motivation contains three sets of videos, in which Czech, Greek, Italian, Serbian, and UK participants share their experiences and perspectives on the issue of motivation during pandemic forced online learning. Specifically, university students and teachers share their experience on what helped them stay motivated and what helped to maintain student motivation, respectively. In addition, experts (psychologists or university counselling centre staff) provide advice on supporting strategies for student motivation.

The qualitative approach further distinguishes between qualitatively different types of motivation, such as intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, and external regulation. In this respect, intrinsic motivation and identified regulation are classified as autonomous motivation, since the origin of motivation comes from internal factors, whereas introjected and external regulation are considered controlled motivation. Generally, autonomous motivation is perceived as a higher-quality motivation compared to controlled motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

• Intrinsic motivation: A state in which an activity is carried out of interest and with inherent satisfaction and enjoyment

• Identified regulation: An individual sees value in a behaviour that enables them to achieve personally important goals, such as studying for the important personal goal of graduation

• Introjected regulation: Behaviours aimed at producing feelings of self-worth or avoiding guilt and shame, for example studying to show one’s intellectual abilities to others

• External regulation: An individual is motivated to obtain rewards or avoid punishment, for instance a student studying for a high salary in the future

Within this toolkit, motivation is referred to from both a quantitative and a qualitative perspective.

Qualitative perspective

Academic motivation

Quantitative perspective

The quantitative approach refers to the overall level of motivation that may range from high motivation through low motivation to complete lack of motivation (amotivation).

The route State of affairs, which is divided into four parts, provides readers with empirically-based evidence on various technology-related factors that affect academic motivation in university students.

• First, the findings of a systematic review on technology-related protective and risk factors for academic motivation during the period of pandemic forced online learning are summarised.

• Second, the most important branches of research on strategies/interventions for promoting academic motivation under the conditions of pandemic forced online learning are presented.

• Third, the readers are provided with findings on technology-related stressors/resources linked to academic motivation in the post-pandemic era, which were derived from an empirical study conducted with 1,541 university students in five European countries.

• The final part includes a video summary of findings on academic motivation during the pandemic forced online learning period, which were derived from discussion groups with European university students.

State of affairs

Tools and recommendations

The route Tools and recommendations provides readers with a basic guide on how to recognize a student, whose motivation is suboptimal. Further, a set of recommendations for higher education staff and management is presented to foster academic motivation in university students. Finally, we provide further tips on useful supporting materials beyond this toolkit.

State of affairs

The route “State of affairs”, which is divided into four parts, provides readers with empirically-based evidence on various technology-related factors that affect academic motivation in university students.

• First, the findings of a systematic review on technology-related protective and risk factors for academic motivation during the period of pandemic forced online learning are summarised.
• Second, the most important branches of research on strategies/interventions for promoting academic motivation under the conditions of pandemic forced online learning are presented.
• Third, the readers are provided with findings on technology-related stressors/resources linked to academic motivation in the post-pandemic era, which were derived from an empirical study conducted with 1,541 university students in five European countries.
• The final part includes a video summary of findings on academic motivation during the pandemic forced online learning period, which were derived from discussion groups with European university students.