The Motivated, The Encouraged, and the Willful Ignorant

Institut für Informatik und Wirtschaftsinformatik (ICB)

The Motivated, the Encouraged, and the Wilful Ignorant

EDEN Annual Conference 2013, Oslo Thomas Richter Heimo H. Adelsberger

Picture: Winding-tower, Essen

Pictures: University of Duisburg Essen


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Motivation …

n  Motivation: most crucial success factor in e-Learning

n  Common practice comparable with “ancient” approach in health system

1.  if motivated (healthy) à do nothing 2.  If loosing motivation (acutely ill) à encourage 3.  If wilful ignorant (chronically ill) à do nothing but

combating symptoms n  Health system changed to preventive medicine and cares for

chronically ill people … n  Educational system still does not support the motivated and

ignores the wilful ignorant … n  Preserving vs. rebuilding? n  Not meeting student’s expectations causes frustration: à preserve students’ initial motivation!


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Learning Culture Survey (LC)

If motivation (partly) is linked to culture: can students’ perception of motivation clearly be distinguished bet-ween cultures, and thus can reactions be forecasted? n  LC: Investigation of culturally biased attitudes &

demands of learners (2009-2013; on-going) n  Survey with 102 Items (basing on culture conflicts

described in literature) o  Role of the Instructor o  Tasks of the Instructor

o Motivation o  Feedback/Evaluation o  Group Work: Attitudes in Group Situations o  Group Work: Preferences o  Time Management


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Items - LC Survey: Section “Motivation”

n  (1) How would you describe your personal level of motivation? o  I easily can be encouraged from others or situations. o  I easily can be discouraged from others or situations.

n  (2) Which of the following aspects do you consider being motivating for you within learning processes? I experience as motivating … o  if the imparted knowledge is useful/valuable for my (private/workaday) life. o  if the imparted knowledge contributes to my personality development. o  if the imparted knowledge improves my chances on the job market. o  if I deliberately can select the learning content / topic. o  if the imparted knowledge is strongly needed for upcoming examinations / tests /

presentations. o  if my professor/employer instructs me to acquire this knowledge.

n  (3) If you feel discouraged because of a seemingly unmanageable task, how do you revive your motivation? o  I take a rest in order to free my mind and continue later on. o  I force myself to stick to the task in order to solve the problem. o  I generally finish such tasks unsolved. o  I look for possible support (persons, literature, and others). o  I turn to different work first and later on return to the difficult task. o  If the task is dividable into subtasks, I confine myself on the subtasks that I can

manage and ignore those I cannot. o  If the task is dividable into subtasks, I confine myself on subtasks I am personally

interested in and later on get back to the difficult tasks.


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Learning Culture Survey - Setting

n  Survey with university students Germany & South Korea: September 2009 - May 2012

n  Questionnaire using 4 point Likert-scale (binarised for evaluation in positive/negative answers)

n  Only fully (100%) completed questionnaires were evaluated

n  Settings per country: o  German students (in-depth study): online survey; language

German; full investigation in 3 universities; 1817 evaluated sample elements; response rate: 2-5%

o  South Korean students (broad study): paper survey; random path algorithm for choice of sample-elements; students from 39 universities in and around Seoul; 286 evaluated sample elements; non-response rate 50%


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Findings 1: Faculties in a German university (Cologne)


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Outcomes 2: German universities’ Average: Culture as majority criterion (Cologne, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Potsdam)


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Outcomes 3, German HE: Culture as acceptance level towards differences – Range as criterion


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Outcomes 4: South Korean universities’ Average: Culture as majority criterion


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Outcomes 5, South Korean HE: Culture as acceptance level towards differences – Range as criterion


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Outcomes 6, South Korean HE vs. German HE (average)


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Outcomes 7, South Korean HE vs. German HE (range)


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Findings and Conclusion

n  HE national culture exists in culture-homogenous countries (Cameroon: Significant differences between French & British Cameroon)

n  HE educational culture != AE national culture n  AE national culture does not exist: enterprise culture

influences learning culture and thus, expectations! à Results cannot be transferred to general national culture! n  Differences between SK & Germany regarding motivation

smaller than expected: o  Treatment of difficulties: SK students focus on manageable

part (90.88 %) while German students stick to whole task (26.78%)

o  Choosing contents is motivating: Ger. 81 %; SK: 69.93 % o  Demand of Professor is motivating: Ger. 32.81 %; SK 57.34 % o  Relevance for exams is motivating: Ger. 61.69 %; SK 80 %


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Future Research

n  Expand investigations to further countries n  Case studies conducted in Bulgaria, Cameroon, Turkey,

Ukraine; June 2013 start in Ghana n  Translations of Questionnaire needed; available in English,

German & French (verified); Bulgarian, Russian, Turkish (not yet retranslated)

n  Supporting universities needed who invite students to participate in Online Survey (e-Mail)

n  Results of survey can help: o  Understand cultural differences o  Prepare guest students for differences o  Determine adaptation needs for educational ressurces

and didactical approaches


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Are there any questions?

(Feel free to contact me via e-Mail)

contact: [email protected]


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Univ. Cologne: male vs. female (1069 / 328)


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South Korean Univ.: male vs. female (131 / 153)


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German Enterprises vs. German Universities