Institut für Informatik und Wirtschaftsinformatik (ICB)
The Motivated, the Encouraged, and the Wilful Ignorant
EDEN Annual Conference 2013, Oslo Thomas Richter Heimo H. Adelsberger
Picture: Winding-tower, Essen
Pictures: University of Duisburg Essen
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Motivation …
n Motivation: most crucial success factor in e-Learning
n Common practice comparable with “ancient” approach in health system
1. if motivated (healthy) à do nothing 2. If loosing motivation (acutely ill) à encourage 3. If wilful ignorant (chronically ill) à do nothing but
combating symptoms n Health system changed to preventive medicine and cares for
chronically ill people … n Educational system still does not support the motivated and
ignores the wilful ignorant … n Preserving vs. rebuilding? n Not meeting student’s expectations causes frustration: à preserve students’ initial motivation!
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Learning Culture Survey (LC)
If motivation (partly) is linked to culture: can students’ perception of motivation clearly be distinguished bet-ween cultures, and thus can reactions be forecasted? n LC: Investigation of culturally biased attitudes &
demands of learners (2009-2013; on-going) n Survey with 102 Items (basing on culture conflicts
described in literature) o Role of the Instructor o Tasks of the Instructor
o Motivation o Feedback/Evaluation o Group Work: Attitudes in Group Situations o Group Work: Preferences o Time Management
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Items - LC Survey: Section “Motivation”
n (1) How would you describe your personal level of motivation? o I easily can be encouraged from others or situations. o I easily can be discouraged from others or situations.
n (2) Which of the following aspects do you consider being motivating for you within learning processes? I experience as motivating … o if the imparted knowledge is useful/valuable for my (private/workaday) life. o if the imparted knowledge contributes to my personality development. o if the imparted knowledge improves my chances on the job market. o if I deliberately can select the learning content / topic. o if the imparted knowledge is strongly needed for upcoming examinations / tests /
presentations. o if my professor/employer instructs me to acquire this knowledge.
n (3) If you feel discouraged because of a seemingly unmanageable task, how do you revive your motivation? o I take a rest in order to free my mind and continue later on. o I force myself to stick to the task in order to solve the problem. o I generally finish such tasks unsolved. o I look for possible support (persons, literature, and others). o I turn to different work first and later on return to the difficult task. o If the task is dividable into subtasks, I confine myself on the subtasks that I can
manage and ignore those I cannot. o If the task is dividable into subtasks, I confine myself on subtasks I am personally
interested in and later on get back to the difficult tasks.
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Learning Culture Survey - Setting
n Survey with university students Germany & South Korea: September 2009 - May 2012
n Questionnaire using 4 point Likert-scale (binarised for evaluation in positive/negative answers)
n Only fully (100%) completed questionnaires were evaluated
n Settings per country: o German students (in-depth study): online survey; language
German; full investigation in 3 universities; 1817 evaluated sample elements; response rate: 2-5%
o South Korean students (broad study): paper survey; random path algorithm for choice of sample-elements; students from 39 universities in and around Seoul; 286 evaluated sample elements; non-response rate 50%
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Findings 1: Faculties in a German university (Cologne)
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Outcomes 2: German universities’ Average: Culture as majority criterion (Cologne, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Potsdam)
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Outcomes 3, German HE: Culture as acceptance level towards differences – Range as criterion
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Outcomes 4: South Korean universities’ Average: Culture as majority criterion
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Outcomes 5, South Korean HE: Culture as acceptance level towards differences – Range as criterion
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Outcomes 6, South Korean HE vs. German HE (average)
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Outcomes 7, South Korean HE vs. German HE (range)
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Findings and Conclusion
n HE national culture exists in culture-homogenous countries (Cameroon: Significant differences between French & British Cameroon)
n HE educational culture != AE national culture n AE national culture does not exist: enterprise culture
influences learning culture and thus, expectations! à Results cannot be transferred to general national culture! n Differences between SK & Germany regarding motivation
smaller than expected: o Treatment of difficulties: SK students focus on manageable
part (90.88 %) while German students stick to whole task (26.78%)
o Choosing contents is motivating: Ger. 81 %; SK: 69.93 % o Demand of Professor is motivating: Ger. 32.81 %; SK 57.34 % o Relevance for exams is motivating: Ger. 61.69 %; SK 80 %
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Future Research
n Expand investigations to further countries n Case studies conducted in Bulgaria, Cameroon, Turkey,
Ukraine; June 2013 start in Ghana n Translations of Questionnaire needed; available in English,
German & French (verified); Bulgarian, Russian, Turkish (not yet retranslated)
n Supporting universities needed who invite students to participate in Online Survey (e-Mail)
n Results of survey can help: o Understand cultural differences o Prepare guest students for differences o Determine adaptation needs for educational ressurces
and didactical approaches
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Are there any questions?
(Feel free to contact me via e-Mail)
contact: [email protected]
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Univ. Cologne: male vs. female (1069 / 328)
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South Korean Univ.: male vs. female (131 / 153)
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German Enterprises vs. German Universities