THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOTIVATIONAL COMMUNICATION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION SUPPORT LYA VISSER THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOTIVATIONAL COMMUNICATION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION SUPPORT door Lya Visser CIP-GEGEVENS KONINKLI.IKE BIBLIOTHEEK, DEN HAAG Visser, Lya The Development of Motivational Communication in Distance Education Support / Lya Visser Thesis University of Twente, Enschede. - With ref. - With summary in Dutch. ISBN: 90-36512476 Subject headings: distance education - student support - motivation. Coverdesign: Jan Visser Editing: Meira van der Spa Press: Printpartners Ipskamp, Enschede O Copyright, 1998, Lya Visser, 18 Rue Joachim du Bellay, 78540 Vernouillet, France. E-mail: [email protected] All rights ~sewed.No part of this book may be reproduced in any form: by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means without the written permission of the author. THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOTIVATIONAL COMMUNICATION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION SUPPORT PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Twente op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. F.A. van Vught, volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties in het openbaar te verdedigen op vrijdag 18 december 1998 te 16.45 door Alida Jacoba Maria Visser Promotoren: prof.dr. Tj. Plomp prof.dr. J.M. Keller Assistent-promotor: dr. W.A.J.M. Kuiper Acknowledgments Few things that have value in life can be accomplished without the love, dedication and support of others. I do not only have the fortune of having a wonderful, caring and supportive husband, who is always there to challenge, encourage and help me, I have also been motivated by Muriel’s encouragement and interest, by Meira’s competent and cheerful editing, and by Yusra’s reassurance and support. Many friends, colleagues and my academic supervisors have been instrumental in completing the challenging task of the past three years. In particular, I wish to thank my promotor Tjeerd Plomp, who has been a tutor as I wish all tutors would be. I have appreciated the freedom he gave me to develop my interests and ideas. His encouragement, understanding and guidance have helped me to develop as an academic and often caused me to look forward to our meetings and discussions. John Keller as my ‘distant’ co-promotor has, through e-mail guidance and personal help, put his ARCS model into practice. Wilmad Kuiper has equally shown me his care and support through providing adequate suggestions, effective feedback and by sometimes just phoning to cheer me up. Hans Pelgrum has generously helped me in the last phase of my dissertation when time was running short, while Don Ely has been helpful in giving me feedback on the final version of the study. An additional note of thanks goes to the staff of the College that served as a basis for my study for their patience and support. Special thanks go to the former Executive Director of the College, Tony Dodds, who first encouraged me to do a Ph.D., and to the present Executive Director Barbara Spronk, who has trusted me and allowed me to do this research, and in doing so, has placed the College in a somewhat vulnerable position. I wish to thank colleagues and friends in the field. In particular I want to thank Petra Bakker and Paula Krupers who have been very helpful in solving logistic and practical problems. Last but not least, I wish to thank all my international students. They have decreased my isolation as a tutor, and through their care and responsiveness have frequently motivated me more than they will possibly know, to do this study. Lya Visser Vernouillet (France), December 1998 i Table of Contents 1 Origins, Aims and Context of the Study 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Origins and aims of the study 1 1.3 Context of the Motivational Messages Support System (MMSS) 3 · Non completion and drop-out in distance education 3 · Lack of motivation: An important reason for drop-out 5 1.4 The motivational messages support system 7 1.5 The purpose of the study 9 · The motivational communications 10 1.6 The context of the intervention 12 · The programme and the institute 12 · The courses 13 · The students 14 · The tutors 16 1.7 The MMSS study 17 · The research method of the study 17 · The significance of the study 17 · The organisation of the study 18 2 The World of Distance Education - Distance Education in the World 2.1 Introduction 19 2.2 The world of distance education 19 · The development of distance education technologies 21 2.3 Distance education in the world 23 ii 2.4 The characteristics and the role of distance education 25 · The characteristics of distance education 25 · The role of distance education 26 2.5 What kind of students engage in distance education? 28 · Distance education learners world-wide 29 2.6 Student support in distance education 30 · The aim of student support 31 · The role of the tutor in student support 32 2.7 Problems in distance education 34 · Lack of study skills and tutorial assistance 35 2.8 Cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness in distance education 36 · Cost components in distance education 37 2.9 Distance education and the future 38 · The future of distance education in developing countries 40 3 Motivation in Education and More Specifically in Distance Education 3.1 Introduction 43 3.2 The main theories of motivation 43 · Mechanistic theories 44 · Cognitive theories 47 · Conclusions 50 3.3 Models of motivation 51 · Wlodkowsky’s model of motivation 51 · Keller’s model of motivation 53 3.4 The choice of Keller’s ARCS model of motivation for the MMSS study 54 3.5 The application of the ARCS model of Motivation in the MMSS study 56 · The four components of the ARCS model of motivation 56 · Examples of the use of the four components of the ARCS model in tutoring actions 62 3.6 The ARCS model motivational design process 63 · The importance of doing an audience analysis 64 3.7 The implementation of the ARCS model of motivation in the MMSS study 65 · Discussion of the motivational systems design in the MMSS study 68 iii 4 Design of the MMSS Research 4.1 Introduction 73 4.2 The approach to the MMSS research 74 · The focus on development research 75 4.3 The research design of the MMSS pilot study 77 · The prototyping stage 79 4.4 The implementation of the MMSS pilot study 80 4.5 The research design of the MMSS main study 83 · The first research question 84 · The propositions related to the first research question 85 · An exploratory question related to the first research question 88 · The second research question 89 · The propositions related to the second research question 89 · The MMSS study - a multiple-case research approach 91 4.6 Implementation of the MMSS main study 93 · The instruments used in the MMSS study 97 · Conditions to ensure quality of the MMSS research 100 · Data collection 104 4.7 Constraints and limitations of the MMSS study 104 5 The MMSS Pilot Study 5.1 Introduction 107 5.2 The environment of the study 108 5.3 The motivational intervention 109 · The motivational letters and messages 110 5.4 The students’ appreciation of the motivational communications 113 · Reactions from students contained in responses to final questionnaire 116 5.5 Completion rates of students in the MMSS pilot study 118 5.6 Reflections on the prototyping stage 119 5.7 Discussion and conclusions 121 iv 6 The Main Research: Assessing the Effectiveness and the Cost-Efficiency of the MMSS 6.1 Introduction 125 6.2 Implementing the MMSS study 126 · The framework 126 · The first motivational communications 127 · Problems and dilemmas encountered 128 6.3 The first research question 129 · The first proposition 129 · The second proposition 140 · The exploratory question 143 6.4 The second research question 153 · The third proposition 153 · The fourth proposition 156 6.5 Summary and conclusions 159 7 Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations 7.1 Introduction 163 7.2 The Motivational Messages Support System 164 7.3 The Foundations of the MMSS and its Environment 166 7.4 The Research Methodology Used in the MMSS Study 167 · Questions related to validity and reliability of the research 167 · Limitations of the study 169 7.5 Design and Development of the MMSS 170 · The MMSS pilot study 170 · The MMSS main study 171 · Summary of the findings of the MMSS main study 172 7.6 Discussion of the Findings of the MMSS Research 173 · Implications of the MMSS for distance education students 174 · Implications of the MMSS for tutors 177 · Implications of the MMSS for the College 178 · Implications for distance education institutions in general 181 v 7.7 Recommendations for further research 182 · Media for motivational communication 183 · The student’s option to consciously engage in dialogue 183 · The position and the role of the tutor 184 · Methodological issues 185 7.9 Closing Remark 186 Samenvatting 187 References 203 Annexes 215 3.1 Motivational factors and subcategories of the ARCS model 217 3.2 Steps in Motivational Design 218 4.1 Guide for tutors involved in the MMSS study 219 4.2 Logbook sheets 222 4.3 Time monitoring sheets 223 4.4 Initial student support questionnaire 224 4.5 Final questionnaire 227 5.1 Overview motivational letters 231 5.2 Overview motivational messages 233 5.3 Letter of College to students accompanying final questionnaire 235 5.4 Final questionnaire 236 6.1 Welcome letter Course B 239 6.2 Welcome letter Course C 240 6.3 Welcome letter Course D 242 6.4 Pacing letter Course B 243 6.5 Pacing letter Course C 244 6.6 Pacing letter Course D 245 6.7 Overview personalized motivational messages Course B 246 6.8 Overview collective motivational messages Course C 248 6.9 Personalized motivational message Course D 250 6.10 Two examples of specially designed personalized messages Course B 251 6.11 Time monitoring sheet (filled out) Course A 253 vi List of Figures 1.1 Traditional communication between students and tutor at the College 7 1.2 Improved communication between students and tutor as used in the MMSS 8 1.3 Example of a motivational message 11 2.1.