Title: Motivation improvement in higher education: Online education in a pandemic setting
Author Name: Karen Sichler
1. Introduction
The United States Department of Education permitted universities and colleges in March 2020 to switch from their established schedules to migrated to distance learning mid-semester due to concerns about COVID-19 (Green, 2020). While the decision to move learning to a virtual setting was taken to protect the health and well-being of students, staff, and faculty, it has created many difficulties as the concerns from the worldwide pandemic are still a part of the daily lives of Americans. For example, parents of students attending Georgia universities have banded together on social media in groups such as “Keep Georgia Universities Open” on Facebook and students have initiated law suits against the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech requesting a return of tuition and fees as the move off-campus to online instruction did not meet their educational and collegial expectations (Stirgus, 2020).
Overall, student motivation has been declining over the past 10 months. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (2020), freshman enrollment for Fall 2020 decreased 16.1% from the same time last year and undergraduate enrollment overall is down 4.4%. After the death of one of their students from COVID-19, a spokesperson for Appalachian State, told Inside Higher Ed “[w]e are balancing the need to protect our students from contracting Covid-19 with the reality that it is already having a major impact on their lives. Our primary mental health and wellness concerns for our students include isolation, loss of experiences, and lack of motivation largely due to the presence of Covid-19” (Burke, 2020). As grades post for the first semester of the 2020-21 academic year, elementary to post-secondary institutions report a tremendous rise in “F’s” in student grades (Strauss, 2020).
Brophy (2004) defines student motivation as “the degree to which students invest attention and effort in various pursuits, which may or may not be the ones desired by their teachers” (p. 5). For Liu et al (2016), however, the motivation drive is more uni-directional as the emphasis is on goal-achievement. Not all motivation, however, has the same impetus. Students may be driven by either extrinsic (recognition by others or good grades) or intrinsic (personal) sources of validation (Knowles & Kerkman, 2007).
2. Overview of the Case
In the School of Communication and Media (SOCM) at Kennesaw State University, students must apply to be admitted to one of the four majors (Journalism, Media and Entertainment, Organizational Communication, and Public Relations). Students may not begin their upper-division (3000 – 4000 level) coursework until they have been admitted to their desired major. To be eligible, interest students must complete five (5) classes (known as the gate) and earn a GPA of at least 2.75 in the aforementioned five classes. In 2018, SOCM created a new class and made it part of the gate. The class was COM 2240 – Communication Law, Ethics, and Diversity. The class has been taught by several faculty in a face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online formats.
Due to the fact students must achieve at least a “C” or better in the course to have it count towards their program of study and achieve an overall GPA of 2.75 in the five gate courses, it is important for the students to succeed in the course. Additionally, students may only attempt the class twice. If they do not successfully complete the course in the allotted two attempts, they may only attempt the class a third time if they receive permission from the director of the school. Student motivation to succeed, therefore, could be expected to be high. However, out of the five required classes, COM 2240 has the second highest D/F/W (student grades of “D”, “F” or withdrawal) rate of the five classes.
Taking into consideration previous concerns about students’ performance in COM 2240 in conjunction with the growing concerns over student motivation and mental health in the COVID era, the researcher surveyed two sections of the course being taught in Fall 2020. The survey instrument was created using several prior works studying student motivation in online classes (Cullum, 2016; Fowler, 2018; Russell, 2013).
3. Solutions Implemented
According to Bruso et al (2020, pp. 2676 – 2677), there are several different ways to help engage low-motivation students in an online setting. To help create a setting that encourages engagement and connection, courses can include:
- Frequently asked questions form
- Optional weekly synchronous sessions
- Allow for learner choice in learning materials/activities
- Social networking
- Media-rich materials
- Instructor scaffolding
- Student-led discussion forums
- Peer-reviewed assignments
- Group projects with specific roles
Brophy (2004) also provides several different methods for helping to encourage student motivation. Emphasizing student-established may be extremely useful when faced with a student body dealing with tremendous challenges on multiple fronts. By setting proximal, specific, and challenging goals for themselves, students have a deeper understanding of what their actual accomplishments mean (p. 68). This allows students to reinforce their own successes (p. 73).
4. Outcomes
For the purposes of this work, descriptive statistics have been employed to provide a baseline understanding of students’ perspectives as well as to help determine potential areas of future inquiry. The main reasons students cited for taking online classes prior to COVID-19 were the flexibility they permitted (66%), the ability to work and manage family obligations (50%) and the option to work on their own pace (42%). In this particular cohort, 83% of the students surveyed were only taking online classes and the majority (67%) were either very likely or somewhat likely to enroll in online classes even when COVID-19 restrictions are reduced or eliminated.
When considering their motivations for pursuing their education at the college level, the responses demonstrated a wide range of reasons. Although the vast majority of respondents (84%) reported they are pursuing a degree to future their education, a majority also indicated that they either agreed or strongly agreed (67%) with the sentiment that family expectations were a decisive factor. As to why they worked “hard” in their classes, students most strongly agreed they do so in order to make good grades (50%), followed by fear of disappointing others (33%), understanding the usefulness of the work (33%), because they enjoy working hard (25%), and because the material is interesting (8%).
In regards to their intrinsic beliefs about their own abilities pre-COVID-19, the majority of students ranked themselves positively for being able to master material at either the agree (25%) or strongly agree (58%) levels. The same can be said for their personal belief in being able to learn even complicated material and understanding complicated concepts. For both of these questions, respondents either agreed (42%) or strongly agreed (25%). When rating themselves in our current situation, their belief in themselves dropped slightly as they now see their ability to master material at 67%. Although the overall percentage did not drop in the final two questions, the distribution differed slightly. Students have somewhat stepped back in their overall confidence as they now 50% of students agree and 17% of students strongly agree that they can master complicated material/concepts.
Finally, when asked about their learning behaviors, overall students were not willing to throw in the towel when presented with a challenge. All of the students either strongly disagreed or disagreed with the statement that when they can’t get a problem right the first time, they give up. In addition, the majority (59%) also disagreed with the idea they give false impression of working hard although 8% did agree with said statement. Over 80% of the students responded that they work hard even when a new topic is introduced.
5. Implications
In the past ten (10) months, the educational system in the United States has had to reconsider many of the established norms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, students have and are still experiencing many hardships and unexpected difficulties dealing with the new educational order. Rather than waiting for the time when the world can return to pre-COVID-19 ways of living and learning, university educators need to seize the opportunity to acknowledge and embrace the potential future. In order to not only help motivate students at this moment but increase students’ overall engagement, online educators need to re-evaluate their relationship to students by empowering students to take more ownership of their education. By relaxing one’s stronghold on the classroom, students can start to see themselves as capable actors who have the ability to make choices about their educational futures.
References
Brophy, J. (2004). Motivating Students to Learn (5th ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Bruso, J., Stefaniak, J, & Bol, L. (2020). An examination of personality traits as a predictor of the use of self-regulates learning strategies and considerations for online instruction. Educational Technology Research & Development, 68(5), 2659 – 2683. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09797-y
Burke, L. (2020). Moving into the long term. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2020/10/27/long-term-online-learning-pandemic-may-impact-students-well.
Cullum, A.W. (2016). Student motivation and intent to take online courses (Doctoral dissertation, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, United States of America). Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2596&context=etd
Eom, S.B. & Ashill, N. (2016). The determinants of students’ perceived learning outcomes and satisfaction in university online education: An update. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 14(2), 185 – 215. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dsji.12097
Fowler, S. (2018). The motivation to learn online questionnaire (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Georgia, Athens, Unites States of America). Retrieved from https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/fowler_kevin_s_201805_phd.pdf.
Gibbens, B. (2019). Measuring student motivation in an introductory biology class. The American Biology Teacher, 81(1), 20 – 26.
Green, E. L. (2020). Rules eases on colleges seeking to close their campuses amid outbreak. The New York Times, pp. 11A.
Keep Georgia Universities Open (n.d.) Home [Facebook Page]. Facebook. Retrieved December 1, 2020 from https://www.facebook.com/groups/331330328055102.
Knowles, E. & Kerkman, D. (2007). An investigation of students attitude and motivation toward online learning. Insight: A Collection of Faculty Scholarship, 2, 70 – 80. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ864281.pdf
Liu, W.C., Wang, J.C.K., & Ryan, R.M. (2016). Understanding motivation in education: Theoretical and practical considerations. In W.C. Liu, J.C.K. Wang, & R.M. Ryan (Eds.), Building Autonomous Learners: Perspectives from Research and Practice using Self-Determination Theory [Kindle]. Retrieved from Amazon.com
Russell, J.L. (2013). Supporting students’ motivation in college online courses (Doctoral thesis, The University of Iowa, Ames, United States of America). Retrieved from https://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4749&context=etd.
Sansone, C., Fraughton, T., Zachary, J., Butner, J., & Heiner, C. (2011). Self-regulation of motivation when learning online: The importance of who, why, and how. Educational Technology Research & Development, 59 (2), 199 – 212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-011-9193-6.
Sedmak, T. (2020). Fall 2020 undergraduate enrollment down 4.4%; Graduate enrollment up 2.9%. Retrieved from https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/blog/fall-2020-undergraduate-enrollment-down-4-4-graduate-enrollment-up-2-9/.
Song, H.S., Kalett, A.L., & Plass, J.L. (2016). Interplay of prior knowledge, self-regulation, and motivation in complex multimedia learning environments. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 32(1), 31 – 50. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12117.
Stirgus, E. (2020). Students sue University System of Georgia for tuition, fees. The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.ajc.com/education/students-sue-university-system-of-georgia-for-tuition-fees/HRNA2XWVFRBEFIIDJJPXKTLR5U/?.
Strauss, V. (2020). More students than ever got F’s in the first term of 2020-2021 school year – but are A – F grades fair in a pandemic? The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/12/06/more-students-than-ever-got-fs-first-term-2020-21-school-year-are-a-f-grades-fair-pandemic/.
Trinidad, J.E., Ngo, G.R., Nevada, A.M., Morales, J.A. (2020). Engaging and/or effective? Students’ evaluations of pedagogical practices in higher education. College Teaching, 68(4), 161-171. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/87567555.2020.1769017
Survey Instrument
| Question | Answers |
| Introduction | |
| Prior to COVID-19, I enrolled in online class sections because of which of the following reasons (select all that apply) | Flexibility in my schedule |
| Able to work at my own pace | |
| Lower tuition costs | |
| Can set my own learning environment | |
| Allow me to work/can keep my job | |
| Helps me to manage my family obligations | |
| I prefer the online format | |
| Distance commuting to campus | |
| I prefer the interaction I have with my professor and classmates | |
| I did not enroll in online classes prior to COVID-19 | |
| During Fall 2020, I am taking ___ online classes | 1 |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| During Fall 2020, I am taking ___ face-to-face classes | 0 |
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| After COVID-19 restrictions and concerns are reduced or eliminated, how likely are you to enroll in online classes? | Very likely |
| Somewhat likely | |
| Unsure | |
| Not Likely | |
| Highly unlikely | |
| Please add any additional information you would like to in the space below | |
| Pursing Education/College Degree | |
| I am pursuing a college degree because I want to further my education | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I am pursuing a college degree because of family expectations | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I work hard in my classes because I enjoy it | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I work hard in my classes to make good grades | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I work hard in my classes because the material is interesting | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I work hard in my classes because I understand the importance/usefulness of the work | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I work hard in my classes because if I do not, I will get in trouble/disappoint people in my life | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| Please add any additional information you would like to in the space below | |
| My Feelings Prior to COVID-19 | |
| I’m certain I can master the technological and academic skills needed in class | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| Even if the material is complicated and hard, I can learn it | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I can understand even the most complicated idea/concept if I try to understand my class work | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| Please add any additional information you would like to in the space below | |
| My Feelings After to COVID-19 | |
| I’m certain I can master the technological and academic skills needed in class | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| Even if the material is complicated and hard, I can learn it | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I can understand even the most complicated idea/concept if I try to understand my class work | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| Please add any additional information you would like to in the space below | |
| My thoughts on COM 2240 | |
| This course encourages originality of ideas | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| Multiple perspectives of situations are often presented in the course | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| The course comprises a variety of learning activities | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| The ideas in the course motivate me to learn | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I feel please with what I learn in the course | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| The course focuses more on making meaning of the learning concepts rather than just answering questions | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I am given sufficient opportunities to express myself | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I feel comfortable asking questions about the material and the assignments | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I believe this course is relevant to my course of study | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| The course allows for the negotiation of the instructional goals and objectives | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| Please add any additional information you would like to in the space below | |
| My Learning Behavior/Perspective | |
| I try very hard | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I work hard when we start something new | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| When I have a hard question or problem, I don’t even try | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I often give a false impression that I am working hard | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| If I can’t get a problem right the first time, I just give up | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| When I get stuck on a question, I can usually get it | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| I pay attention when we start a new module | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| In this course, I start my assignment without really planning out what I want to get done | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| Before starting an assignment, I try to figure out the best way to do it | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| For the assignments, I double check my work to make sure I am doing it right | Strongly disagree |
| Disagree | |
| Neither agree nor disagree | |
| Agree | |
| Strongly agree | |
| Please add any additional information you would like to in the space below | |