Blended Learning Workshop @ Adaptive Hypermedia 2008 Group work on Motivation

1. Blah: Learner Motivation
While walking around
Stephan, Judith, Jeppe, Mihaela

2. 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.

4. 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

6. 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

9. 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

10. 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