Running head: INVISIBLE ONLINE MOTIVATION

Invisible Motivation of Online Adult Learners During Contract Learning Seung Youn (Yonnie) Chyung, Boise State University Abstract In a face-to-face classroom, the instructor can easily diagnose students’ motivational status by observing their facial expressions and postures, but such cues are absent in an online classroom. Therefore, online instructors often estimate students’ motivational level based on their online behavior such as the number of messages they post, and look for effective strategies to help them actively participate in online dialogues. One

such strategy is contract learning which facilitates self-directed behaviors through structuring an agreed learning process. This study reports a contract learning strategy in a graduate-level online class, examining whether a sample of 28 students’ motivation could indeed be predicted by their online behavior. Results from the study found that the students’ online behavior was not a predictor for their motivational status, though there were age and gender differences in their online behavior. The students felt more self- directed and motivated during contract learning, but what they really liked was being able to select assignments that were relevant to their interests and needs. This paper concludes by discussing practical implications of the findings at the end. The Journal of Educators Online, Volume 4, Number 1, January 2007 1 Developing Effective Learners through Effective Instruction A goal of teaching is to help learners become effective learners. To accomplish the goal, four important factors should be analyzed: (a) who the learners are, (b) what they are learning, (c) how they are learning it, and (d) how they should be taught. Among the four factors, learners’ characteristics and the way they learn are closely related. A group of cognitive psychologists has suggested that effective...

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