A Practical Review of the Role of Intrinsic Motivation In Online Learning

Intrinsic Motivation Defined The word intrinsic refers to an internal worth of an object. Intrinsic motivation is therefore motivation created by internal factors rather than external. A classic definition is " a motivation to engage in activities that enhance or maintain a person's self-concept " (Purkey & Stanley, 1991). Later studies focus on the perceived feelings, especially enjoyment, that come from intrinsic motivation. From an intrinsic motivational perspective, behavior is evoked from the feeling of pleasure, joy, and fun. Perceived enjoyment is " the extent to which the activity is perceived to be enjoyable in its own right, apart from any performance consequences that may be anticipated " (Lee 2005). In education, intrinsic motivation encompasses any student behaviors which are performed out of interest and satisfy the innate psychological needs for competence. Importance of Intrinsic Motivation in Distance Learning " When students are intrinsically motivated, they are more likely to be engaged in their learning and also to achieve high standards " (McCotter 2008). Intrinsic motivation has been established in the traditional classroom as a powerful determinant of student success. Research in the distance learning community has shown that intrinsic motivation has the same importance, but perhaps with a more complicated way of delivering intrinsic factors. Yukselturk and Bulut (2007) investigated the relationship between intrinsic goal orientation and students' academic performance in online courses. They compiled data from a pool of eighty online learners at the end of the university course. The findings revealed that intrinsic goal orientation was significantly associated with students' academic performance in their course. Radovan (2011) also investigated the relationship between different dimensions of self-regulation and academic performance in online students. Finding that students having high levels of intrinsic goal orientation were more likely to be academically successful than students having low levels of intrinsic goal orientation. These studies have established that higher levels of student intrinsic motivation lead to higher student achievement in an online setting. To promote this intrinsic motivation within online students, online educators must find ways to design courses that facilitate this outcome. " To unleash the full potential of technology supported learning environments the technology should be designed and applied in such a way that it reinforces the students intrinsic motivation " (Shroff 2011). In order to reinforce intrinsic motivation, we must look at the factors that are affecting intrinsic motivation within the online learning environment. " Through a systematic study …