Exploring Motivational Aspects and User Experience of Mobile Mathematics

Learning Service in South Africa

Jari Varsaluoma, Heli VäätäjäTampere University of Technology, Finland

Tanja WalshUniversity of York, United Kindom

Contact: jari.varsaluoma@tut.fi

Academic Mindtrek20th International Academic

Mindtrek ConferenceOct 17th - 19th, 2016

Outline of the presentation

• Background• Study design• Main results • Conclusions

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Background

Motivation• Developing world more mobile than

developed world (World Bank, 2012)

• Opportunities for new mobile learning services.

• More research required in developing countries regarding mobile learning services:• What motivates learners?• How to provide positive user experiences?

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Background

Research goalsTo understand…•what factors motivate learners in South Africa to...

– study mathematics?– use mobile mathematic learning

services?•what is the relationship of motivational and user experience factors in this context?

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Study design

Microsoft Math Service– https://math.microsoft.com/

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Study design

Instruments & participants• Mobile survey integrated into Microsoft Math

platform + log-data describing the actual usage.• 53 responses (22 female, 42%) used in analysis• Age 14-42 years (M = 18.3, SD = 3.87). Three

over 19 years old. 85% in primary school or college.

• On a scale: “Very hard 1 – 5 Very easy”• math in general: M = 3.74, SD = 1.02 • math questions in the service: M = 3.66,

SD = 0.85.*Jari Varsaluoma 6

Study design

Survey topics and questions

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User experience

Q1. What is your overall evaluation of this mobile service? (Emoticons: Sad 1–5 Happy)Q2. This service is… (Difficult to use 1–5 Easy to use)Q3. This service is… (Ugly 1–5 Beautiful)

Motivation

Q4. I am interested in studying mathematics in general. (Strongly Disagree 1–5 Strongly Agree)Q5. Why are you interested or not interested in studying mathematics in general?Q6. I like to use this mobile service in studying mathematics. (Strongly Disagree 1–5 Strongly Agree)Q7. Why do you like or dislike to use this service in studying mathematics?Q8. Abridged version of Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS) (Guay et al., 2000) L1. Number of completed separate quizzes.

Behavioral intentions (2 questions) | Context related (2 questions)Background & Math skills

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UX

Q1. What is your overall evaluation of this mobile service? (Emoticons: Sad 1–5 Happy)

M = 4.74, SD = 0.52

Q2. This service is… (Difficult to use 1–5 Easy to use) M = 4.74, SD = 0.71

Q3. This service is… (Ugly 1–5 Beautiful) M = 4.85, SD = 0.36

Motiva-tion

Q4. I am interested in studying mathematics in general. (Strongly Disagree 1–5 Strongly Agree):

M = 4.75, SD = 0.62

Q6. I like to use this mobile service in studying mathematics. (Strongly Disagree 1–5 Strongly Agree)

M = 4.74, SD = 0.63

Q8. Abridged SIMS INT & IDE: M>4.42, SD<1.06EXT: M = 3.03, SD = 1.35

Results

UX & motivation scales

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Motivation Type Responses

1 For my future Identified regulation 25/53

2 I like to study mathematics Intrinsic motivation 19/53

3 Improve my math skills Identified regulation 14/53

4 For school External regulation 4/53

5 Math is easy Intrinsic motivation 2/53

6 Help fellow learners Identified regulation 1/53

7 It supports my hobby Identified regulation 1/53

Results

What motivates learners in studying mathematics?

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Motivation Responses1 High-quality content supports informal learning 27/532 Improves my math skills 15/533 Accessibility 8/534 Fun way of learning mathematics 7/535 Supplements teaching at school 7/536 Competition 6/537 Ease of use 5/538 Makes me use more time on studying 4/53

9 Efficiency 3/53

10 Prizes 2/53

11 Inexpensive 2/53

12 Measure my progress 2/53

13 Novel learning experience 2/53

14 Unmotivating 4/53

Results

What motivates learners to use Microsoft Math?

• 10/53 (19%) respondents had completed less than 10 separate quizzes

• 14/53 (32%) had completed more than one 100 quizzes

• 9/10 respondents who had completed less than 10 separate quizzes stated that they were very interested (Q6) in using the service for studying mathematics

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Results

Motivation based on logged usage data

• No strong correlations between UX & motivational factors

• Statistically significant differences• between “novice” and “expert users” in SIMS

external regulation (Q8, EXT: U = 175, p < .05)• between “math-talented” and “non-talented”

groups in SIMS item INT1: “This activity is interesting” (Q8, U = 275, p < .05)

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Results

Correlations and comparisons of subgroups

Conclusions

User Experience Goals

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• Autonomy – to feel freedom by choosing when and how to study using the mobile learning service.

• Competence – to feel successful by achieving new goals in the learning process.

• Efficiency – to feel that no time is wasted in the use of the mobile learning service.

Conclusions

Implications for conducting remote mobile surveys

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1. Open questions can work with mobile surveys.

2. Longer questionnaires can be divided into two parts to decrease respondent fatigue.

3. Logged (objective) usage data can support subjective statements.

4. Free airtime coupons for mobile data as rewards.

Thank you!Exploring Motivational Aspects and

User Experience of Mobile Mathematics Learning Service in South Africa

Jari Varsaluoma, Heli VäätäjäTampere University of Technology, Finland

Tanja WalshUniversity of York, United Kindom

Contact: jari.varsaluoma@tut.fi

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Background

Key terms 1/2• Mobile learning (MoLeNET programme)

• The exploitation of ubiquitous handheld technologies, together with wireless and mobile phone networks, to facilitate, support, enhance and extend the reach of teaching and learning.

• Informal learning (Jones et al., 2006)• Learning that is outside institutional contexts.

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Background

Key terms 2/2Motivation•Intrinsic motivation•Extrinsic motivation

• External regulation• Identified regulation

•Amotivation(Deci & Ryan, 1985)

User experience (UX)•“a person’s perceptions and responses that result from the use or anticipated use of a product, system or service” (ISO 9241-210, 2010)•The components of UX include pragmatic / utilitarian and hedonic / non-utilitarian aspects of product use.(Hassenzahl, 2003; Mahlke & Thüring, 2007)

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Conclusions

Topics for further research

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• Studying motivational aspects with more in-depth approach, e.g. interviews

• Including learners less skilled in mathematics

• Studying views of other actors: teachers and parents

• Longitudinal studies of motivational and UX factors in mobile learning context