Motivation Challenges and Potential Solutions for E-Learning Adoption

in Different Audiences

Michele B. Wiedemer

University of North Texas

LTEC 5300.021

Instructor: Tandra Tyler-Wood, PhD

October 10, 2022

 Motivation Challenges and Potential Solutions for E-Learning Adoption

in Different Audiences

Delivering self-paced instruction via e-learning is beneficial in many ways, but also has

some challenges. A primary challenge is that if learners are not motivated to complete the

course, they will not gain the learning outcomes. Different learner populations have different

levels of motivation for completing e-learning courses. Two approaches for potentially

overcoming this challenge include gamification, and a flipped classroom (or blended learning).

These approaches have been tested with different audiences with some success, though often

looking at different factors than motivation.

Self-determination Theory and Motivation

Motivation influences the choices and effort applied by a learner (Kim et al., 2020).

Self-determination theory looks at the factors that can support or inhibit motivation (Ryan &

Deci, 2020). Self-determination theory assumes that people want to grow through learning and

connection, but that this process is not always automatic (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

According to self-determination theory, there are three basic needs that, when unmet or

thwarted, can damage motivation for learning (Ryan & Deci, 2020). The first need is autonomy,

or a sense of having initiative and taking ownership in our own actions. The second need is

competence, or the feeling that we can succeed, gain knowledge, and master skills. The third

need is relatedness, or a sense of belonging and connection (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

These basic needs can be supported or undermined through the circumstances of a

learning experience. For example, Ryan & Deci state that experiences of being externally

controlled through rewards or punishments obstruct a feeling of autonomy. Obstructed feelings

Motivation Challenges and Solutions for E-Learning Adoption in Different Audiences 2

of autonomy lead to lower motivation, which leads to lower performance (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

Intrinsic motivation, defined as applying to activities done for curiosity and enjoyment, is

likely responsible for most learning for humans during their lifespan (Ryan & Deci, 2020). The

other type of motivation is extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation, according to self-determination

theory, includes four major subtypes for the behaviors generated through reasons outside the self,

including external regulation, introjection, identification, and integration (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

These four subtypes create a spectrum, which spans from highly external factors like

compliance, to attributes that are somewhat or mostly internalized (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

A person can begin an activity for more extrinsic motivation reasons, including external

rewards or punishments, but also for reasons like wanting to avoid shame or anxiety. However,

when the person starts to identify with an activity and connect it to their own values or reasons,

the motivation can become more autonomous. In this way, the activity begins to look more like

those started with intrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

Electronic Learning (E-Learning) Benefits and Challenges

E-learning may be defined differently by different researchers. For example, Mabrur &

Suwartono include any learning enabled through computer and internet technologies, including

virtual learning and online learning (Mabrur & Suwartono, 2021). This paper is not considering

virtual classrooms (i.e., lectures through video conferencing software) and synchronous online,

or cohort-based experiences (weekly reading and computer discussion assignments) in the same

way as asynchronous learning done via computer (also known as web-based training or

computer-based training).

Delivering instruction via e-learning has several advantages. The technological

developments that make e-learning possible decrease the cost of learning to both institutions and
Motivation Challenges and Solutions for E-Learning Adoption in Different Audiences 3

students (Çelikbilek & Adıgüzel Tüylü, 2022). Zhou et al. suggest other advantages to

e-learning. Some requirements of traditional teaching (such as needing a classroom) are reduced

or removed. Learners can review content when - and how often they need to - in order to

reinforce learning. And digital resources can support improved learning efficiency (Zhou et al.,

2020). For example, learners appreciate being able to speed up videos where appropriate, or to

ensure their comprehension by checking a video transcript (Kakarougkas & Abdellatif, 2022).

Corporations may prefer digital training modules over traditional ones, due to the

flexibility and effectiveness for learners who complete the programs (Goopio & Cheung, 2021).

However, e-learning programs overall have a low completion rate (Liang et al., 2017).

Zhou et al. report that data from Harvard dataverse shows most learners enrolled in e-learning

from America (97.9%) and China (84.3%) are unable to complete the e-learning courses

successfully (Zhou et al., 2020). Massive open online courses (MOOCs) (which may have

challenges similar to more traditional e-learning) are also reported to have an average low

completion rate of between 5% and 8% of enrolled participants (L. M. Romero-Rodríguez et al.,

2020).

Review of Reasons for E-Learning Low Completion Rates

Several researchers have studied reasons for the high dropout rates and whether the lack

of completion of e-learning equates with a lack of learning. Hew & Chung’s systematic review of

literature in 2014 discovered 25 papers that focused on motivations and challenges of MOOCs

(Goopio & Cheung, 2021). Goopio & Cheung differentiate between e-learning courses (as being

more traditional online learning courses that are used in a variety of contexts) and MOOCs

(which can be taken for academic credit or for personal interest) specifically on the issue of

motivation. They suggest that a traditional e-learning student may be motivated by

Motivation Challenges and Solutions for E-Learning Adoption in Different Audiences 4

self-confidence or self-esteem, and would be discouraged from registering for other online

courses if they fail to complete one (Goopio & Cheung, 2021). Though this type of motivation is

a form of extrinsic motivation, according to Ryan & Deci, if the learner has a value of avoiding

that sense of failure, the motivation would become more autonomous (Ryan & Deci, 2020).

On the other hand, students in MOOCs may be motivated by something other than a

course completion certificate, such as curiosity (Goopio & Cheung, 2021). Since curiosity is one

of the defining features of intrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci, 2020), the completion of the

course is not necessary to achieve the learner’s own personal goal (Goopio & Cheung, 2021).

Furthermore, Mesfin et al. suggest that not all e-learning is created equal. Some attributes

of well-designed e-learning include the effectiveness with which the courses are presented,

whether they provide easy access to additional resources, whether they encourage self-paced

learning, and whether they provide online assessment (Mesfin et al., 2018).

Goopio & Cheung point out that it is sometimes difficult to determine why learners drop

out of self-paced learning, because those learners are unlikely to complete post-course surveys

(Goopio & Cheung).

Review of Example Research of E-Learning Effectiveness in Different Audiences

Alshammari noted the lack of studies relating to elementary school students’ use of

e-learning (Alshammari, 2020). His study experimented with sixth-grade elementary students

learning Arabic language through e-learning systems (Alshammari, 2020). Hubalovsky et al.

point out that skills for succeeding with e-learning may not be developed enough with younger

students (Hubalovsky et al., 2019).

Mesfin et al. studied e-learning in Ethiopian high schools with hopes of reducing failure

rates of e-learning adoption (Mesfin et al., 2018).

Motivation Challenges and Solutions for E-Learning Adoption in Different Audiences 5

Chauhan et al. compared e-learning performance to traditional teaching for undergraduate

students. They also collected student sentiment on e-learning (Chauhan et al., 2019). Their

conclusions include motivation as a factor (Chauhan et al., 2019). Kakarougkas & Abdellatif also

studied undergraduate students, and specifically looked at completion rates (Kakarougkas &

Abdellatif, 2022).

An example study looking at medical students’ use of e-learning found that extrinsic

motivation guided students’ learning efforts (Scott et al., ) 2018).

When considering adult learning populations in a corporate setting, Beinicke & Kyndt

report that companies are considered market leaders when they implement e-learning programs

as part of their organizational performance improvement strategy (Beinicke & Kyndt, 2019).

They differentiate between traditional classroom-style training and web-based or computer-based

training and blended learning (Beinicke & Kyndt, 2019).

An emerging audience differentiated from the previous populations are corporate external

learners, which may include business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C) learners.

For example, He & Zhang studied digitalized interactive platforms with B2B and B2C customers

and included learning about products as one of the components of the study (He & Zhang, 2022).

While these audiences have not yet been subject to much academic research, Knihova has also

studied external audience education through participants watching product-related instructional

videos on YouTube (Knihova, 2020). Also, Eigenraam et al. studied how consumers engage with

brands, including learning practices, to create a taxonomy of digital engagement practices and

provide implications for managing digital customer engagement (Eigenraam et al, 2018).
Motivation Challenges and Solutions for E-Learning Adoption in Different Audiences 6

Gamification as a Potential Solution to Motivation Challenges with E-Learning Completion

The term gamification has been applied to entertainment-oriented technology that is used

with utilitarian and productive purposes (Koivisto & Hamari, 2019). Marcu and Danubianu note

that the concept of gamification is better represented as describing an activity that provides a

game-like experience (Koivisto & Hamari, 2019). Mitchell et al. explain that gamification

involves the use of game components to bring about behavior change through entertainment,

especially when the learner audiences have defiance toward a particular task (Mitchell et. al,

2018). As a strategy, gamification can improve services or existing systems, by making

affordances for knowledge in ways we find in normal games (Hsieh & Yang, 2020).

Adding gamification elements into modern information systems increases individuals’

motivation, which helps organizations achieve their desired goals (Çeker & Özdamli, 2017).

Alshammari’s experiment with sixth-grade students learning Arabic language through

e-learning systems evaluated the effect of gamification. Rather than comparing motivation for

completing e-learning with and without gamification, he looked at whether gamification would

increase students’ learning motivation as compared to learning in a traditional classroom

(Alshammari, 2020). The results were that the gamified learning system yielded significantly

better results, in terms of learning motivation (Alshammari, 2020).

Roy and Zaman (2019) and Stuart et al. (2019) concluded that using games and

gamification systems in education motivates students to learn, and they support students’

psychological needs (Koivisto & Hamari, 2019). Using the self-determination theory

explanation, the game-based outside guidelines are internalized to foster independence,

competency, and relatedness in students (Mitchell et al., 2018).

Motivation Challenges and Solutions for E-Learning Adoption in Different Audiences 7

Koivisto & Hamari report that most companies and organizations are interested in

benefiting from gamification for inducing motivation and engagement based on business

analyses that predict positive prospects. Businesses have incorporated gamification for education

among a wide range of other activities (Koivisto & Hamari, 2019).

A challenge with implementing gamification to improve e-learning completion rates and

effectiveness is that the gamification strategies require considerable effort to implement

(Jayawardena, 2021).

Blended Learning as a Potential Solution to Motivation Challenges with E-Learning

Completion

To evaluate active learning approaches that promote student learning and to make

improvements over traditional lecture formats, Kakarougkas & Abdellatif looked at the Flipped

Classroom Approach (FCA) in university students studying molecular biology (Kakarougkas &

Abdellatif, 2022). FCA encourages students to engage with educational content (as videos or

reading material) outside the classroom. Then the classroom time is used for more active forms

of learning like discussion and group problem-solving (Kakarougkas & Abdellatif, 2022). This

study included the use of a learning management system (LMS) that delivered content. The LMS

also quizzed the students, and allowed instructors to monitor students’ engagement and

performance (Kakarougkas & Abdellatif, 2022).

The Kakarougkas & Abdellatif study found that students had a consistently high rate of

completing assigned self-paced learning throughout the semester (Kakarougkas & Abdellatif,

2022). They had students self-report reasons for this finding, and concluded that because

students were interested in the topic (and therefore intrinsically motivated), they found the

assigned materials engaging (Kakarougkas & Abdellatif, 2022). Students also reported that the
Motivation Challenges and Solutions for E-Learning Adoption in Different Audiences 8

delivery and quality of the online materials were impressive. They especially appreciated the

addition of diagrams and animations. These factors enhanced students’ comprehension of

detailed biological processes and technologies (Kakarougkas & Abdellatif, 2022).

Chauhan et al. reported a study from 2016 in which students had a clear preference for

computer-based modules, and that e-learning performed as well as traditional teaching (Chauhan

et al., 2019). However, the study conclusion was that e-learning should not replace more active

peer and instructor interactions, because the group had poor access rates to the e-learning module

(Chauhan et al., 2019). A notable percentage (44.8%) of participants in this study only accessed

the e-learning module once or not at all (Chauhan et al., 2019). The reported theory for this

finding is that students had a lack of motivation in the absence of live instruction (Chauhan et al.,

2019). The students in the study self-reported an opinion that a lecture followed by e-learning

would help them learn better in an undergraduate setting (Chauhan et al., 2019).

The Scott et al. study found that 30% of the medical student participants did use the

e-learning materials to improve their learning and prepare for their examination (Scott et al.,

2018). Students showed a preference for the digital resources over lectures and textbooks, but

they were motivated externally (Scott et al., 2018).

Conclusion

Part of the challenge with evaluating benefits and challenges of e-learning is that from an

academic perspective, there is not universal agreement of what e-learning entails. A proposal for

a standardized definition of e-learning would be computer- or mobile-based learning activities

that include: 1) short text blocks with accompanying relevant images and animations, 2) short

and focused videos, and 3) associated interactions and assessments. The interactions are what set

e-learning apart from reading assignments and watching recorded lectures.

 Motivation Challenges and Solutions for E-Learning Adoption in Different Audiences 9

Under this definition, e-learning has been shown to be an effective way to help students

meet learning objectives. It has been used with various audiences over the last three or more

decades, and is becoming more popular and accessible, especially with web-based delivery.

Developing effective e-learning does require a skilled (but practical) instructional designer, who

often works in collaboration with subject matter experts. When organizations have a different

approach, or try to cut corners, they may not see the same kind of learning outcome results or

return on their investment.

However, studies evaluating e-learning have an inconsistent approach beyond the failure

to use a standardized definition. They have looked at different factors that may influence

e-learning and its adoption by different audiences to solve learning problems. They have not

intentionally and systematically reviewed motivation as a factor in the adoption or success of

e-learning, even though e-learning requires a motivated learner in order to be successful. In fact,

Hubalovsky includes the ability to self-study as a necessity for study via e-learning (Hubalovsky

et al., 2019).

Studies looking at e-learning use with elementary students show it to be a promising

supplement to teacher-led learning. Many learning experts may consider that e-learning would

not be an appropriate method of study on its own for young students, who may not have fully

developed the ability for self-study yet (Hubalovsky et al., 2019). However, this is worth further

investigation, especially looking particularly at ways students may be curious and motivated to

learn in an engaging computer-based format. Hubalovsky et al. report that implementing

e-learning in primary education as a support or supplement (as in the case of blended learning

approach) may be a good way to strengthen the curriculum (Hubalovsky et al, 2019).
Motivation Challenges and Solutions for E-Learning Adoption in Different Audiences 10

Once students get into high school, motivation starts to change, as students have many

different activities competing for their attention. Gamification is a way to tap into students’ own

values that could help convert the reasons for learning and completing e-learning to be more

intrinsically motivated. The flipped classroom is also an exciting possibility for engaging the

students and preparing them for more active learning (and to practice certain skills) in the

classroom.

Undergraduate, graduate, medical, and other post-graduate student populations are often

motivated to succeed with their learning in the programs in which they are enrolled, as success is

key for unlocking their future professional opportunities.

Many companies use e-learning and are shifting from traditional classroom training to

e-learning (or blended learning), with reports of 80% of U.S. Fortune 500 companies, and 55%

of top 500 companies in Germany having implemented some forms of e-learning for

performance improvement (Beinicke & Kyndt, 2019). The research question remains on the

motivation of these learners. My hypothesis is that these learners are often required to take the

e-learning assigned to them, either for compliance or for their job requirements.

Business to business educational opportunities have an inherently different level of

motivation, especially when a business buyer differs from an end user who needs to learn a new

product or workflow as a result of a purchase they had no control over or interest in. While

e-learning is an exceptionally effective learning mechanism in these populations when learners

do complete the modules, motivating the people who need to learn to start (and complete) the

learning remains an unsolved challenge. Gamification provides one avenue of addressing this

challenge. If professionals appreciate badges and leaderboard status, their motivation to complete

learning may become more intrinsic. Blended learning is another way to address the challenge,
Motivation Challenges and Solutions for E-Learning Adoption in Different Audiences 11

through assigning learners short e-learning lessons and practice activities before attending

classroom-style or video conference style sessions to discuss the changes, workflows, and best

practices for becoming better in their jobs.

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