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"Adventures in Emerging Media: An Updated Look at Engagement Methods in Online Courses" Presentation given at 8am November 2, 2012 at AECT by Emily Johnson.
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Adventures in Emerging Media: An Updated Look at
Engagement Methods in Online Courses
Emily K. Johnson, Reuben Rogak, Rudy McDaniel, Robb Lindgren,
and Jon Friskics
University of Central FloridaTexts & Technology Ph.D. Program
• Online • Survey Course• Funded by a two-year grant• Elective• School of Visual Arts and Design• Fall 2010, Fall 2011, and Fall
2012
Introduction
• Continuation of research on student preferences in online course design
• Novel aspects of a unique, online course taught at UCF in the Fall semester of 2011 entitled Adventures in Emerging Media (AEM) were analyzed
Introduction
Unique course features that were studied:• An unfolding narrative released to
students throughout the semester• Student choice in which course
modules they wished to complete each week
• Assignments that were tied directly to students’ potential careers and job interviews
• A game-based achievement system (added in Year 2)
Background
Prior research suggests that these elements increase student motivation and learning:
•Relevant Tasks •Student Agency•Student Collaboration •Narrative Elements
Unique Course Features
• Assignmentstied directly to students’ potentialcareers and job interviews
Unique Course Features
• Unfolding narrative – “dream job”
Unique Course Features
• Choice in weekly learning modules
Unique Course Features
• Game-based Achievement System
Badges
“A 'badge' is a symbol or indicator of an accomplishment, skill, quality or interest. From the Boy and Girl Scouts…to the more recently popular geo-location game, Foursquare, badges have been successfully used to set goals, motivate behaviors, represent achievements and communicate success in many contexts.”
-The Mozilla Foundation and Peer 2 Peer University. “Open Badges for Lifelong Learning” (2012). Retrieved from: https://wiki.mozilla.org/images/5/59/OpenBadges-Working-Paper_012312.pdf
Achievements
Achievements, or earned tokens of accomplishment, often encourage players to spend more time within digital systems (esp. videogames) and to alter their playing habits in order to unlock particular types of challenges (e.g., find every coin in a given area or unlock a particular puzzle within a certain amount of time).
Rationale for Achievements
Motivate students to engage in behavior linked to success in online courses such as:• Completing assignments early• Answering a peer’s question• Offering constructive feedback to
peers• Completing more than one module per
week (only one per week required)
--Constituted a small percent of students’ participation grades.
Achievement Design
Two Types of Achievements
• Visible
• Hidden
5 Visible AchievementsAwarded for:• Posting a required introduction on
the course discussion forum• Successfully completing the first
three weeks of the course• Successfully completing two-thirds
of the modules• Successfully completing all required
modules• Turning in the Week Twelve
Milestone for the Final Project
6 Hidden AchievementsAwarded for:• Being the first person to post a project
each week• Answering a peer’s course-related
question on the discussion forum• Completing three modules for one week• Completing four modules for one week• Watching at least some of each video
contained in each module for a given week
• Turning in a project with exceptional detail or technical skill
Achievements Page
Awarding Achievements – Instructor View
Design
• Non-experimental• Descriptive• Mixed methods• Likert-scale options yielding
quantitative data • Open-ended questions added a
qualitative approach• Focus group after semester ended
Survey Participants
• 138 undergraduate students at UCF enrolled in Adventures in Emerging Media in Fall 2011
• 84 undergraduate students at UCF enrolled in a total of four other, “traditional” online courses in the sciences and humanities completed a modified survey
Sample questions for both groups:This course has affected the way I think about
my career goals.Strongly Disagree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strongly
Agree
I feel that I benefited from interactions and collaborations with other students in this course.Strongly Disagree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Strongly
Agree
In the last 8 weeks of this course, how often have you done the following?
Commented on another student's workVery Often – Often – Sometimes – Never
AEM Specific Question ExampleWhat aspects of this course caused you to put more effort into these assignments, as compared to a “regular” online course? (Choose all that apply)
• The ability to choose my learning modules each week.
• The ability to choose one learning module for grading, AND go back to take additional modules with "no pressure."
• A story that unfolds in pieces over the period of the course (the "dream job" scenario).
• The relevancy of assignments designed to help me get a job after graduation.
• Having my work recognized in some way (like on the "Achieve" page).
• The ability to share my work with peers.• The ability to critique the work of my peers.• The ability to have my work critiqued by peers.
Design
• Responses of students from the AEM course and the four other courses were compared to analyze student perception and behavior between the two types of courses.
Achievements
Variable 1 Variable 2Pearson
Correlation (r)
Significance (p)
Comfort with Technology (1 to 7)
Motivated to Receive Achievements (1 to 7) .228 .010*
Number of Gaming Hours per Week
Motivated to Receive Achievements (1 to 7) .172 .057
• Pre-Survey: Badge system motivating particularly for those who were comfortable with technology and games
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Felt Achievement System Had Positive Impact on Course
7 = Strongly Agree
Males FemalesMales Females0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Motivated by Other Students Receiving Achievements
7 = Strongly Agree
Males Females
Achievements
Variable 1 Variable 2 Pearson Correlation (r) Significance (p)
Felt Achievement System Was Positive (1 to 7)
Discussed Ideas Outside of Class (1 to 7) .175 .040*
Worked Harder To Receive Achievements (1 to 7)
Commented On Other Students’ Work (1 to 7) .217 .010*
Worked Harder To Receive Achievements (1 to 7)
Amount Of Time Spent Collaborating With Other Students
.242 .004**
Seeing Others Get Achievements Was Motivating (1 to 7)
Total Number Hours Spend On Course Per Week .158 .064
Achievements
• Post-Survey: Positive feelings about achievement system were correlated with other positive feelings in the course
Student Attitudes
• AEM Favorite Aspect: Course Design
• Other Positive Responses: Choice in learning modules Ability to take additional modules
without being tested on them Relevancy of assignments
Commented on peers’ work
AEM
Commented on peers’ work
Other Online Courses
Results: Likert Statements
• No notable differences
AEM Other
Challenging Course 5.25 4.87
Learned Interesting Things 5.52 6.45
Meaningful Assignments 4.95 6.24
Benefitted from Student Collaboration
4.45 5.52
Tried to do well 5.93 6.42
Proud of work 5.70 5.37
Affected career goals 4.62 5.10
Recommend to a friend 5.05 6.31
Interest in similar course design 5.07 6.00
Results
Aspects you would like to see in other courses:• Choice of learning modules each week:
79%• The ability to take additional modules
without being tested on them: 64%• Relevancy of assignments: 55%• Have work critiqued by peers: 53%• Share work with peers: 49%• Ability to critique the work of peers:
44%• Have work recognized: 38%• Unfolding story: 28%
Results
Aspects that caused you to put forth more effort:• Choice of learning modules each week:
54%• Relevancy of assignments: 39%• Peers critiquing your work: 41%• Sharing work with peers: 37%• Ability to take additional modules
without being tested on them: 36%• Ability to critique the work of peers: 32%• Having my work recognized: 30%• Unfolding story: 14%
Discussion• AEM students- higher frequency of
collaboration
• Research suggests that collaboration is important
• Worthwhile to incorporate aspects of this course lending themselves to collaboration into other online courses.
Discussion• Little difference was seen in Likert-
scale averages between AEM & other courses
• This could be due to the nature of education at this level
• Course selection• Intrinsically motivated• Understand importance of
assignments
Discussion• Interesting gender patterns in
achievement opinions – Are badges more motivating to females? Was the design similar to social games, which females tend to prefer?
• AEM students indicated a desire to see many of the unique features implemented in future online courses
• Some factors to consider when designing a course
Discussion: Future Research• Similar course in different fields of
study• Determine most effective features• Investigate effects on skill mastery
Intended Improvements
• Improving narrative coherence; including student input
• Updating digital creation guidelines
• New module creation and improved test creation system
• Updating the look-and-feel of the site
ReferencesBeldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance education trends: Integrating new
technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2), 139-153.
Caine, R. N., & Caine, G. (1991). Making Connections: Teaching and the human brain. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.Cameron, J. a. P., W. D. (2002). Rewards and intrinsic motivation:
Resolving the controversy. Westport, Connecticut: Bergin & Garvey.
Carr, D. (1986). Narrative and the real world: An argument for continuity. History and Theory, 25(2), 117-131. Deci, E. L. & Ryan, R. M. (1990). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum.Keller, J., & Suzuki, K. (2004). Learner motivation and e-learning design: A multinationally validated process. Journal of Educational Media, 29(3), 229-239.
ReferencesLauritzen, C. a. J. M. (1997). Integrating learning through story: The narrative curriculum. Albany, N.Y: Delmar Publishers.Lindgren, R. & McDaniel, R. (in press). Transforming online learning through narrative and student agency. Educational Technology & Society.Liu, N. F., & Carless, D. (2006). Peer feedback: The learning element of peer assessment. Teaching in Higher Education, 11(3), 279-290.McCombs, B. L., Whisler, Jo Sue. (1997). The learner-centered
classroom and school: Strategies for increasing student motivation and achievement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass.Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2000). Making the transition: Helping teachers to teach online. EDUCAUSE: Thinking it through. Nashville, Tennessee.
ReferencesPasse, J. (1996). When students choose content: A guide to increasing motivation, autonomy, and achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Wynn, S. R. (2010). The effectiveness and relative importance of choice in the classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(4), 896. Radovan, M. (2011). The relation between distance students' motivation, their use of learning strategies, and academic success. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10(1), 216-222. Varma, S., McCandliss, B. D., & Schwartz, D. L. (2008). Scientific and pragmatic challenges for bridging education and neuroscience. Educational Researcher, 37(3), 140-152.
