Measuring Learners’ Motivation Level in Massive Open Online Courses

Abstract

Abstract—Motivation stimulates and sustains learning behavior. It is important to understand learners' motivation, and identify whether the instructional materials can motivate or demotivate students. However, there are relatively few studies that address learners' motivation level in the newly emerged massive open online courses (MOOCs) setting. To shed light in this area, a case study on 27 MOOCs learners' motivation level was conducted. The instructional materials motivation survey (IMMS) instrument has been used to measure learners' motivation. It measures motivation from four dimensions: attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (ARCS). The result showed that most participants' motivation levels were positive, and the participants were satisfied with the instructional materials provided in MOOCs. However, learners also expected improvements in some aspects.