Motivation to Learn in Open, Distance, and Digital Education

Abstract

As research questions in the rapidly growing field of Open, Distance, and Digital Education shift from if to how these forums should be approached, a paramount and complementary area of research is the accompanying motivation students’ exhibit to learn in ODDE environments. This chapter critically examines the existing literature on student motivation in ODDE at each of the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, and beyond. Much existing research involves one-off comparisons between students’ motivation in using popular tools such as MOOCs, gamification of learning, interactive whiteboards, and AR/VR tools with not using them. While mixed effects have been observed, seldom are tools catered to theory and context in a manner that best supports students’ learning. To see the field continue to mature, results from studies must be situated within robust theories of motivation in educational psychology. More program-level research built on more stringent standards in design, analysis, and replication is required. Future directions of research are discussed.