Motivation in a MOOC: a probabilistic analysis of online learners’ basic psychological needs

Needs satisfaction and Online Self-Regulated Learning among chinese undergraduates

The increasing popularity of online courses has highlighted the importance of online self-regulated learning (OSRL). However, its use among undergraduates remains challenging. Based on self-determination theory, this study examined whether satisfying three basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) could foster the engagement of Chinese undergraduates (N = 381) in OSRL. Data were collected from an online questionnaire, which included a revised Online Self-Regulated Learning Questionnaire, a scale to measure need satisfaction, and demographic information items. Descriptive analyses, confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were conducted. The results revealed that overall need satisfaction was positively associated with the use of OSRL strategies. Specifically, satisfying autonomy was positively associated with the use of resource management strategies. Feeling competent was positively associated with most OSRL strategies, except for time management and help seeking. A sense of relatedness was positively associated with self-evaluation, task strategies, and help seeking. These findings underscore the unique role of each need in promoting OSRL. Therefore, designers and instructors of online courses should cater to the specific needs of undergraduates to enhance their use of targeted OSRL strategy(ies).

Exigency-driven Academic Motivation of Learners: A Comparative Analysis During COVID and pre-COVID Scenario

Recent studies have addressed the technological and cognitive motivational factors influencing e-learning. However, research investigating the comparative analysis of psychological factors that influence the academic motivation of e-learners and their interconnection has not been reported. Considering the array of psychological challenges faced by the student community in the current pandemic, a detailed look at the sudden transition and its impact on the academic motivation of learners is imperative. This paper examines the impact of psychological factors on the academic motivation of learners in pre-COVID and COVID times. Further, the significant difference in academic motivation during the period is also studied. A structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses the data obtained in two phases—phase 1 (Pre-COVID) and phase 2 (COVID)—from executive business management students of India. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that looks at the academic motivation of learners using three different theoretical lenses. Findings suggest that all psychological factors influence the academic motivation moderately/strongly during both the phases, except attention during pre-COVID. However, increased focus on attention and need for relatedness is suggestive during exigencies like COVID. The validity of second order measures, that is, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation and amotivation, fortifies the findings and makes a substantial contribution to the body of the knowledge in e-learning motivation. The study details the research and practical implications of the findings.

Health-related quality of life, motivational regulation and Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction in Education Outside the Classroom: an explorative longitudinal pilot study

BACKGROUND

Given a suboptimal state of mental health among children, an urgent need exists to seek approaches related to health promotion in this population's settings, such as in schools. Increased health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and improved school motivation could be crucial for children's mental health. Based on self-determination theory, paths can be identified that could lead to such improvements by strengthening the basic psychological needs (BPN). This study aimed to examine the impact on and the relationships among HRQoL, school motivation and BPN within the promising concept of education outside the classroom (EOtC).

METHODS

In this exploratory study, we employed a between-subjects cohort study design with no blinding or randomisation. We surveyed fifth graders (mean = 10.1 years) attending EOtC (experimental group [EG], n = 25) and normal indoor lessons (control group, [CG], n = 41) at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) of a semester. We used the translations of validated questionnaires and established linear mixed-effects models to evaluate whether the students in EOtC show higher scores of HRQoL and school motivation and, whether the satisfaction of BPN of autonomy (PAut), competence (PCom), social relatedness with classmates (PSRC) and teachers (PSRT) show associations with these outcomes.

RESULTS

Regarding intrinsic and identified motivational regulation, results showed significant increases over time in the overall sample and significant higher scores in the EG than in the CG. For HRQoL, no group differences were found, but a significant decrease over time in the EG. Regarding possible associations between the outcomes and BPN, such could only be found between HRQoL and PSRC, but not for the other BPN and not for motivational regulation and BPN.

CONCLUSIONS

Without having been able to explain this on the basis of increased BPN values, our results show that EOtC can support improvements in specific regulation types of school motivation. This could contribute to an improvement in the mental health situation in children, as school represents a major stressor for them. Future steps in terms of researching HRQoL in this setting are discussed, as this pilot study does preliminary work for necessary examinations, e.g. in structural equation approaches.

Performance, motivation, engagement, and interactions in MOOCs-based learning

With the rapid development of information technologies, the new decade has been witnessing an advancement of massive open online courses (MOOCs)-based learning. However, MOOCs are infamous for the lower engagement and completion rates and very few studies have systematically reviewed student performance, motivation, engagement and interactions in MOOCs-based learning in order to provide constructive suggestions for researchers and practitioners. Through content analysis, this study firstly identified top 10 cited works and their major concerns and then discussed student performance, motivation, engagement, and interactions, as well as methods to improve the effectiveness of MOOCs-based learning. It also provides constructive suggestions for future design of MOOCs, and complements for the missing link in literature. Future research could focus on the measurements of variables in MOOCs-based learning in order to improve the quality of MOOCs and help students achieve success in MOOCs.

Acceptance of MOOCs as an alternative for internship for management students during COVID-19 pandemic: an Indian perspective

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to understand the benefits and utility of massive open online courses (MOOCs) as perceived by the student, vis-à-vis internship and determine the factors that influence student motivation and distraction in adoption of MOOCs.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical study is conducted through a survey; data are collected through a structured questionnaire. The technology acceptance model (TAM) is used as the base framework. For data analysis, Statistical Product and Service Solutions–Analysis of Moment Structures (SPSS–AMOS) 24.0 is used.

Findings

The impact of context-specific distinctive features of MOOCs and characteristics of students on user satisfaction are examined through perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. In the study, it is found that positive social influence and better facilitating conditions improve perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness leading to a better user satisfaction. Self-regulation positively influences self-efficacy among students while pursuing MOOCs. Contrary to the past researches, it is found that in the pandemic environment self-efficacy is not impacting perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and satisfaction.

Practical implications

The findings of this study will benefit MOOCs developers and Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in deeper understanding the significant factors affecting MOOC usage in higher education.

Originality/value

The study is ingrained to find the causes which will lead to user satisfaction of MOOCs by post-graduation students of B-schools in India. This is an original research and primary data has been collected for decision-making.

Curriculum Innovation in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Thinking-Based Instruction Theory and Its Application

At the beginning of 2020, to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to the campus, the Ministry of Education of China launched a policy “Suspension of classes without suspending schooling” for the spring semester of 2020. However, the drawbacks of online teaching (e.g., students’ inadequate autonomous learning, the lack of effective online instruction) forced us to modify teaching strategies during this special period, especially developing courses that are suitable for student learning at home and improving their key competencies. In order to solve these problems, this study introduces some theoretical exploration and practical work of curriculum design under the guidance of thinking-based instruction theory (TBIT) during the pandemic. We firstly introduce TBIT, and elaborate on the curriculum design under the TBIT theoretical frame. Then we describe a series of TBIT-based micro-courses with the pandemic as background. A descriptive study is reported to illustrate the effects of three micro-courses. Results showed that, compared to national curricula, the TBIT-based micro-courses not only improved the course quality but also enhanced students’ motivation and facilitated their online learning behavior (such as interactive communication) for the online courses. The current study has important implications for how to design effective and interesting online courses suitable under pandemic and capable of improving students’ thinking abilities and key competencies.

Aprendizaje en línea durante la pandemia de COVID-19: aplicación de la teoría de la autodeterminación en la ‘nueva normalidad’

La pandemia de COVID-19 ha introducido la noción de la ‘nueva normalidad’ en la vida diaria al influir profundamente en la forma en que solíamos vivir, estudiar y trabajar. Durante estos tiempos sin precedentes, la rápida transición del aprendizaje presencial tradicional al aprendizaje digital se observa como un cambio de paradigma en la educación superior. Inspirándose en el marco teórico de la autodeterminación, este estudio tiene como objetivo examinar el impacto del aprendizaje digital en la motivación de los estudiantes. También plantea la hipótesis del papel mediador, de las necesidades psicológicas básicas, en el nexo entre el aprendizaje digital y la motivación de los estudiantes. 689 estudiantes que asistieron a clases digitales en diez universidades (cinco públicas y cinco privadas) de Pakistán respondieron a la encuesta preparada en la web. Los resultados de esta investigación no confirman la relación directa entre el aprendizaje digital y la motivación de los estudiantes, sin embargo, esta relación sí está mediatizada por las percepciones de los estudiantes sobre el grado en que sus necesidades psicológicas básicas estaban satisfechas / insatisfechas. Este estudio contribuye teórica y empíricamente a la literatura tanto de la psicología como de la educación superior, perteneciente al campo en desarrollo del aprendizaje digital. Las implicaciones prácticas de este estudio informan a los responsables de la formulación de políticas en el ámbito académico para que reflexionen sobre las necesidades psicológicas de los estudiantes dentro del entorno de la enseñanza virtual.

Does Relatedness Matter for Online Self-regulated Learning to Promote Perceived Learning Gains and Satisfaction?

The COVID-19 pandemic has moved university teaching and learning activities that conventionally take place in physical classrooms to online platforms. There is an urgent need to investigate university students’ experience and perceptions of online learning during the pandemic so as to optimize online learning strategies in tertiary education during and after the pandemic. Based on self-determination theory and the social cognitive perspective, the present study investigated the relationship between perceived relatedness with instructors and classmates, online self-regulated learning (OSRL), perceived learning gains, and satisfaction of 572 Chinese undergraduate students. Through structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrapping, we found: (1) relatedness was positively associated with OSRL; (2) relatedness had no direct effect on either perceived learning gains or satisfaction; (3) OSRL has a full mediating effect on the relationship between relatedness and perceived learning gains; (4) there was a serial mediating effect of OSRL and perceived learning gains on the relationship between relatedness and satisfaction; and (5) task strategies and goal setting contributed most to OSRL’s mediating effects. Our work provides university instructors, online course designers, and online platform providers with new insights into the importance of supporting undergraduate students’ OSRL (particularly task strategies and goal setting) via developing social connections for improving their perceived learning gains and satisfaction in online learning environments.

Motivation scale for learning with the use of DICT (EMA - TDIC)

Abstract The motivation to learn, as a socio-affective component, has been investigated as a facilitating phenomenon for the permanence of young people in formal education. The aim of this study was to seek evidence of content and the internal structure of the items that make up an instrument to identify the motivational quality for learning with the use of DICT (EMA - TDIC), with its scope being students in high school and higher education. Participants in this study were 822 students, who responded collectively to the scale. Descriptive and exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory (CFA) analysis of the items were performed. The CFA results corroborated the structural model established in the EFA, that is, the three-dimensional structure was confirmed: Controlled Motivation, Autonomous Motivation and Demotivation. New studies are underway, aiming to expand the psychometric evidence of the instrument, increasing the possibilities of making this questionnaire useful in educational contexts.