wikis motivation

Increasing Learner Motivation through a Collaborative Online Experience: Working with Wikis

Today’s students have been brought up in collaborative online environment and are accustomed to a high level of interaction with material and people. The challenge for educators is to incorporate collaborative technology into the classroom without ignoring pedagogical principles. This session will discuss the relationship between online collaboration through a wiki and student engagement and motivation in a face-to-face environment and provide ideas and suggestions for using a wiki in the classroom.
Abstract: (Click here to enhance readability)

Collaborative web sites, or wikis, can be a powerful tool for increasing student engagement in the classroom. The objective of this presentation is to introduce attendees to the early stages of a study investigating the relationship between wikis and student engagement and motivation. This session will also to initiate a conversation about the possibilities of using wikis to enhance student engagement and motivation in a face to face classroom setting. In many college classrooms, instructors are challenged with finding innovative methods for motivating their students and getting them to connect to the course content. In most cases, the level of motivation may determine a learner’s involvement or engagement in learning activities. It is important to consider this when developing learning activities and lesson plans. Hofer (2006) has observed that there is a direct relationship between a learner’s level of motivation and his or her engagement in the learning process. If learners do not see value in the activity they are presented, they are less likely to engage in that activity. It is important for teachers, instructors, and curriculum developers to understand what motivates learners and how that can be incorporated into learning activities. When one looks at the many different theories of motivation, there are a several key elements that affect one’s drive for achievement. Research has shown that many motivators are connected to internal personal needs rather than external factors (Schunk, 2008). These internal factors can include a need for recognition, an internal drive to succeed or meet a set of personal needs (Malone & Lepper, 1987; Schunk, 2008; Hofer, 2006). In their research, Malone and Leper developed a taxonomy of intrinsic motivation for learning. One motivator that they identified was a learner’s sense of control over the experience (Malone & Lepper, 1987). Based on their research, a learner’s perception of control over an environment increases the learner’s level of interest. This is also shown in Rotter’s Locus of Control theory (Schunk, 2008). According to Rotter’s theory, learners are more likely to engage in activities and academic tasks if they believe they have control over their personal success or failure. Knowing this, it would makes sense that giving learners some control or even the perception of control over their learning environment would have a positive effect on their interest and motivation to engage in learning. Another aspect of control is the learner’s ability to make choices about their environment. Hofer (2006) identifies choice as an index of motivation. She explains that learners who are allowed to choose their learning tasks are more likely to perform well in those tasks and are motivated to succeed. Malone and Lepper also discuss choice as a factor in increasing motivation (Malone & Lepper, 1987). They state that not only can choice in task and goals can have an effect on instruction but even the illusion of choice can have a strong effect on interest (Langer as cited in Malone & Lepper, 1987). Giving the learners some control of course content and choice in learning activities not only increases learner motivation but is also one of the central ideas behind a learner-centered classroom versus as content-centered classroom (Halonen, 2006). Today’s students have been brought up in collaborative online environment and are accustomed to a high level of interaction with material and people. Research has shown that students are comfortable and even expect collaborative technology to be present in their classes (Caverly, 2001). It is necessary for educators to meet them where they already are in terms of using technology. The challenge for educators is to incorporate collaborative technology into the classroom without ignoring pedagogical principles. It is also important to remember that our purpose for using technology is based on pedagogy; hence, pedagogy should be the driving force behind developing learning activities (Stahl & Boylan, 2003). This session will discuss research designed to evaluate new web technology within this framework. The study to be discussed is an action research investigation which is an adaptation of a completed pilot study that investigated online interaction as a tool for increasing student engagement and motivation. The original study used a mixed-method approach to data collection. In order to answer the research questions, a student opinion survey was used. The opinion survey consisted of a two-part group-administered questionnaire. Part one contained fifteen items using a Likert-type format to assess the students' perceptions of the course and connection to the material. Part two included four open-ended questions designed to assess the students' opinion of the course and course material. The current study will use a similar approach with some modification to the tool. The session will review the research and provide information that can increase an educator's knowledge of how different collaborative web-based activities affect student motivation and engagement. An understanding of what activities draw deeper connections and improve motivation can be used when designing effective instructional practices and technology integration strategies.