A semester-long field study was conducted to test for an innovative instructional form, “motivational messages” to deliver motivational and volitional strategies in an undergraduate college course. To provide a means for the rational selection, creation, and implementation of such sets of strategies, an integrative model of motivational design (Keller, 1987) was expanded to incorporate volitional theories. The effectiveness of this approach was tested by distributing the strategies as “motivational messages” (Visser & Keller, 1990) in the form of “Study Tips” via email to the participants in this study. Thus, the purpose of the study was to determine whether a combined set of motivational and volitional strategies emailed as motivational messages would improve motivation, persistence, and achievement during several weeks of a semester-length course. Results indicate that the intervention does contribute to improving students’ study habits, attitudes toward the course, and learning performance. Moreover, substantial educational and theoretical significances could be derived.

Aims

Instructional designers are faced with many challenges regarding how to design instruction that will stimulate and sustain learner motivation and persistence, especially for courses of multiple days or an entire semester. Controlled research studies tend not to generalize to this setting because they typically implement treatments of 30 to 50 minutes so that they can be completed in a single class period. Thus, the motivational challenges that occur during a semester-length course or a significant portion of it are much different from a “single sitting” research study in which there is hardly any time to deal with novelty effects of an intervention before the experiment is finished. Also, in a longer study, learners’ motivational attitudes at the beginning of a course, even if they are positive, cannot be expected to persist over a long period of time unless things are done to help sustain them. In this regard, a combination of motivational and volitional strategies that are presented to the students in a timely manner and based on their actual needs can have a substantial impact on study habits, motivation, and learning outcomes. The rational for this kind of intervention builds on the following line of arguing. Motivational strategies have been proved to establish interest in the course and a positive expectancy for success while further research evidence proclaims that volitional strategies help learners stay on task and persist until they have accomplished their goals. However, previous research has not yet tested a process of systematic development and implementation of combinations of motivational and volitional strategies. Therefore, an integrative model of motivational design (Keller, 1987) was expanded to incorporate volitional theories of Gollwitzer (1999) and Kuhl (1984). In this paper, the focus will be directed towards the effectiveness of an innovative approach for distributing strategies. It is assumed that due to the specific conditions of the given setting, especial attention has to be paid to learners’ motivational attitudes prior and during the course.

Methodology

Using data of logbooks which were administered to the learners on a weekly basis and data of an audience analysis which took place prior to the study, ample information could be compiled that were then adopted to constitute a basis for decision-making regarding the distribution of the strategies. The strategies were delivered in accordance to “motivational messages” (Visser & Keller, 1990); a validated form of instruction that seems highly appropriate not only for formal schooling settings but also for educational-supported instruction (“e-learning”). Currently, there are a lot of online services available that are making huge promises with regard to motivation such as the one cited in the heading of this paper (http://www.motivational-messages.com). They are applied as confidence boosters and are very limited in scope as well as in their theoretical foundation. Moreover, there is no connection to learner’s motivational traits and states although the individual can decide to request a motivational message by clicking on the respective button. In contrast to that, the present study conducted a preliminary audience analysis targeted on relevant motivational and volitional attitudes which was further enriched by data of logbooks. This led to the constitution of a Personalised Message Group (PMG) that compromised those 32 out of 90 participants that were conceived of being most amendable to an integrated motivational and volitional support. In addition to that, crucial points during the course were identified (e.g. prior to or after a test) at which the PMG received personal emails that were designed as motivational messages.

Findings

Overall, it became clear that the combined set of motivational and volitional strategies that were emailed in form of motivational messages contributed to improving student’s study habits, attitudes toward the course, and learning performance. This conclusion is supported by the results that students in the PMG spent more time studying, had a higher increase in test scores, and had a smaller drop in confidence than students in the control group. More specifically, there was a significant interaction effect, F(1,25)=8.04, p=.009, E²=.24, such that the participants in the PMG increased while those in the control group decreased in time spent studying. In a similar vein, there was a significant interaction effect, F(8, 34)=.209, p=.000, E²=.21, such that the subjects in the PMG improved while the subjects of the control group deteriorate in test scores. Regarding learners’ confidence, there was an overall significant decrease over the course, F(7,04)=.115, p=.010, E²=.65, however, subjects in the PMG had a lower drop rate than subjects in the control group which is indicated by a significant interaction effect, F(13,79)=.203, p=.000, E²=.18. Since the personal emails especially gave concern to factors which probably caused a decreased motivation such as a bad test score and stressed the importance of using the set of motivational and volitional strategies, it can be therefore concluded that the intervention actually put on learners needs. Moreover, it seems plausible that the impact of strategies is highly dependent on their perceived benefit for the learning process since learners in the control group who were provided access to the strategies later in the study refused to use them.

Theoretical and educational significance of the research

Besides the already mentioned educational significance that the willingness to use certain supportive strategies is greatly dependent on learners’ perception of their potential benefit for a successful learning process there are also important theoretical significances. For instance, in the theory of multimedia learning (Mayer, 2005), a so-called persona effect was established that demonstrates positive effects of personalised messages on cognitive variables such as problem-solving (Moreno & Mayer, 2004). The results of the present study add a new dimension to the persona effect since it could be shown that motivational variables also have a significant effect.