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