Motivation in a language MOOC: issues for course designers

Whilst several existing studies on foreign language learning have explored motivation in more traditional settings (Dornyei, 2003), this paper presents one of the first studies on the motivation of participants in a MOOC. The MOOC, Travailler en francais (https://sites.google.com/site/mooctravaillerenfrancais/home), was a 5-week open online course for learners of French at level B1 of the CEFR, and aimed to develop language and employability skills for working in a francophone country. It took place in early 2014 and attracted more than 1000 participants. Intrinsic motivation (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000), is directly linked to one’s enjoyment of accomplishing a task. We conducted a study based on the cognitive variables of the Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), and adapted the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory to the context of a MOOC in order to understand the expectancy beliefs and task values of participants engaging with the MOOC. Participants answered a 40 Likert-type questions on enjoyment/ interest (i.e. I will enjoy doing this MOOC very much), perceived competence (i.e. I think I will be able to perform successfully in the MOOC), effort (i.e. I will put a lot of effort in this MOOC), value/usefulness (i.e. I think that doing this MOOC will be useful for developing my skills), felt pressure and tension (i.e. I think I might feel pressured while doing the MOOC) and relatedness (i.e. I think I will feel like I can really trust the other participants). Results highlight significant factors that could directly influence intrinsic motivation for learning in a MOOC environment. The chapter makes recommendations for LMOOC designers based on the emerging profile of MOOC participants, on their motivation and self-determination, as well as on the pressures they might feel, including time pressures. Finally, the extent to which participants relate to each other, and are able to engage in social learning and interaction, is a real challenge for LMOOC designers.

[1]  A. Bandura.  Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control , 1997, Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy.

[2]  W. Lambert,et al.  Attitudes and Motivation in Second-Language Learning , 1972 .

[3]  R. Ryan,et al.  Control and information in the intrapersonal sphere: An extension of cognitive evaluation theory. , 1982 .

[4]  C. Osvaldo Rodriguez,et al.  MOOCs and the AI-Stanford Like Courses: Two Successful and Distinct Course Formats for Massive Open Online Courses. , 2012 .

[5]  Rita Kop,et al.  The Challenges to Connectivist Learning on Open Online Networks: Learning Experiences during a Massive Open Online Course , 2011 .

[6]  J. Eccles,et al.  Expectancy-Value Theory of Achievement Motivation. , 2000, Contemporary educational psychology.

[7]  Gayle S. Christensen,et al.  The MOOC Phenomenon: Who Takes Massive Open Online Courses and Why? , 2013 .

[8]  E. Deci,et al.  The "What" and "Why" of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behavior , 2000 .

[9]  George Siemens,et al.  Penetrating the fog: analytics in learning and education , 2014 .

[10]  J. Eccles.  Expectancies, values and academic behaviors , 1983 .

[11]  George Siemens,et al.  The MOOC model for digital practice , 2010 .

[12]  Jean‐Charles Pomerol,et al.  What is a MOOC , 2015 .

[13]  Maria Perifanou,et al.  MOOCS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING: AN EFFORT TO EXPLORE AND EVALUATE THE FIRST PRACTICES , 2014 .

[14]  J. W. Atkinson.  Motivational determinants of risk-taking behavior. , 1957, Psychological review.

[15]  N. Verhelst,et al.  Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment , 2009 .

[16]  Edward L. Deci,et al.  Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior , 1975, Perspectives in Social Psychology.

[17]  P. Pintrich,et al.  Motivation in Education: Theory, Research, and Applications , 1995 .

[18]  Z. Dörnyei.  Attitudes, Orientations, and Motivations in Language Learning: Advances in Theory, Research, and Applications , 2003 .

[19]  Jozef Colpaert,et al.  Editorial: Transdisciplinarity , 2004 .

[20]  Jozef Colpaert,et al.  Elicitation of language learners' personal goals as design concepts , 2010 .

[21]  Helene Fournier,et al.  A pedagogy of abundance or a pedagogy to support human beings? Participant support on massive open online courses , 2011 .

[22]  E. Deci,et al.  Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. , 2000, The American psychologist.