Assignment Design and its Effects on Japanese College Freshmen's Motivation in L2 Emergency Online Courses: A Qualitative Study.
Saved in:
| Title: | Assignment Design and its Effects on Japanese College Freshmen's Motivation in L2 Emergency Online Courses: A Qualitative Study. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Ismailov, Murod1 (AUTHOR) ismailov.murod.gm@u.tsukuba.ac.jp, Ono, Yuichi1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Asia-Pacific Education Researcher (Springer Science & Business Media B.V.). Jun2021, Vol. 30 Issue 3, p263-278. 16p. 4 Diagrams, 1 Chart, 2 Graphs. |
| Subject Terms: | *College freshmen, *Online education, *COVID-19 pandemic, *Curriculum, *Intrinsic motivation, *Academic motivation, Social anxiety |
| Abstract: | Unlike conventional distance learning, the COVID-19-induced emergency online learning environment has resulted in students experiencing prolonged social isolation and anxiety, thereby creating additional barriers to their motivation to learn. Studying under these conditions influences students' motivation to complete and turn in course-related assignments, especially newly enrolled students taking the English reading online courses as second language learners (L2). The aim of this qualitative study is to examine various factors influencing Japanese college freshmen's (n = 80) motivation when completing graded online assignments as part of asynchronous English reading courses held during the COVID-19 pandemic. The post-course survey of students from three separate classes was used to capture a detailed panorama of learner motivation. Results from an inductive content analysis of responses indicated that higher levels of motivation were strongly associated with assignments that facilitated learner autonomy, social interaction, personal interest, and practical utility of the task. Conversely, decreased motivation appears to be strongly associated with assignments reinforcing the perception of high difficulty, personal inefficacy, and cognitive overload. These findings are consistent with studies examining online learners' motivation in the pre-pandemic period. This study found that intrinsic motivation plays an explicit role in enhancing learners' engagement with instructional materials. Researchers recommend that, especially during emergencies such as a pandemic or major crisis, teachers should deliberately and extensively employ strategies to enhance the motivational appeal of instructional materials and assignments. When designing online assignments for freshman courses, special attention must be paid to psychological (autonomy, utility, relevance), cognitive (information overload), social (relatedness, interaction), and environmental (an emergency, uncertainty, isolation) conditions of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Asia-Pacific Education Researcher (Springer Science & Business Media B.V.) is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Unlike conventional distance learning, the COVID-19-induced emergency online learning environment has resulted in students experiencing prolonged social isolation and anxiety, thereby creating additional barriers to their motivation to learn. Studying under these conditions influences students' motivation to complete and turn in course-related assignments, especially newly enrolled students taking the English reading online courses as second language learners (L2). The aim of this qualitative study is to examine various factors influencing Japanese college freshmen's (n = 80) motivation when completing graded online assignments as part of asynchronous English reading courses held during the COVID-19 pandemic. The post-course survey of students from three separate classes was used to capture a detailed panorama of learner motivation. Results from an inductive content analysis of responses indicated that higher levels of motivation were strongly associated with assignments that facilitated learner autonomy, social interaction, personal interest, and practical utility of the task. Conversely, decreased motivation appears to be strongly associated with assignments reinforcing the perception of high difficulty, personal inefficacy, and cognitive overload. These findings are consistent with studies examining online learners' motivation in the pre-pandemic period. This study found that intrinsic motivation plays an explicit role in enhancing learners' engagement with instructional materials. Researchers recommend that, especially during emergencies such as a pandemic or major crisis, teachers should deliberately and extensively employ strategies to enhance the motivational appeal of instructional materials and assignments. When designing online assignments for freshman courses, special attention must be paid to psychological (autonomy, utility, relevance), cognitive (information overload), social (relatedness, interaction), and environmental (an emergency, uncertainty, isolation) conditions of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 01195646 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s40299-021-00569-7 |
