ArticlePublisher preview available

Intrinsic motivation enhances online group creativity via promoting members’ effort, not interaction

Wiley
British Journal of Educational Technology
Authors:
Xinru Zhang
Xinru Zhang
Xinru Zhang
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Zhongling Pi at Shaanxi Normal University
Zhongling Pi
Chenyu Li
Chenyu Li
Chenyu Li
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Weiping Hu at Shaanxi Normal University
Weiping Hu
Read publisher preview
Download citation
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract and Figures

Intrinsic motivation is seen as the principal source of vitality in educational settings. This study examined whether intrinsic motivation promoted online group creativity and tested a cognitive mechanism that might explain this effect. University students (N = 72; 61 women) who volunteered to participate were asked to fulfill a creative task with a peer using online software. The peer was actually a fake participant who was programed to send prepared answers in sequence. Ratings of creativity (fluency, flexibility and originality) and eye movement data (focus on own vs. peer’s ideas on the screen) were used to compare students who were induced to have high intrinsic motivation and those induced to have low intrinsic motivation. Results showed that compared to participants with low intrinsic motivation, those with high intrinsic motivation showed higher fluency and flexibility on the creative task and spent a larger percentage of time looking at their own ideas on the screen. The two groups did not differ in how much they looked at the peer’s ideas. In addition, students’ percentage dwell time on their own ideas mediated the beneficial effect of intrinsic motivation on idea fluency. These results suggest that although intrinsic motivation could enhance the fluency of creative ideas in an online group, it does not necessarily promote interaction among group members. Given the importance of interaction in online group setting, findings of this study suggest that in addition to enhancing intrinsic motivation, other measures should be taken to promote the interaction behavior in online groups. Practitioner Notes What is already known about this topic The generation of creative ideas in group settings calls for both individual effort and cognitive stimulation from other members. Intrinsic motivation has been shown to foster creativity in face‐to‐face groups, which is primarily due the promotion of individual effort. In online group settings, students’ creativity tends to rely on intrinsic motivation because the extrinsic motivation typically provided by teachers’ supervision and peer pressure in face‐to‐face settings is minimized online. What this paper adds Creative performance in online groups benefits from intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation promotes creativity through an individual’s own cognitive effort instead of interaction among members. Implications for practice and/or policy Improving students’ intrinsic motivation is an effective way to promote creativity in online groups. Teachers should take additional steps to encourage students to interact more with each other in online groups.
Figures - available from: British Journal of Educational Technology
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
A preview of this full-text is provided by Wiley.
Learn more
Content available from British Journal of Educational Technology 
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
British Journal of Educational Technology
doi:10.1111/bjet.13045
Vol 52 No 2 2021 606–618
© 2020 British Educational Research Association
Intrinsic motivation enhances online group creativity via
promoting members’ effort, not interaction
Xinru Zhang, Zhongling Pi, Chenyu Li and Weiping Hu
Xinru Zhang is a doctoral candidate in the Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology (Ministry of Education)
at Shaanxi Normal University (SNNU). Her research interests include educational psychology and creativity.
Zhongling Pi is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology (Ministry
of Education) at SNNU. Her research interests include educational psychology and collaborative learning. Chenyu
Li is a graduate student in the Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology (Ministry of Education) at SNNU.
His research interests include cognitive reappraisal and creativity. Weiping Hu is a professor in the Key Laboratory
of Modern Teaching Technology (Ministry of Education) at SNNU. His research interests include creativity and
educational psychology. Address for correspondence: Weiping Hu, Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology
(Ministry of Education), SNNU, Changannan Road 199, Yanta District, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an,
Shannxi Province, 710062, China. Email: weipinghu@163.com
Introduction
Creativity has always been emphasized in educational settings not only because it makes learning
incisive and productive, but also because cultivating creative students is an important goal of ed-
ucation. In recent years, more and more creative activities occur in online collaborative groups.
Abstract
Intrinsic motivation is seen as the principal source of vitality in educational settings.
This study examined whether intrinsic motivation promoted online group creativity and
tested a cognitive mechanism that might explain this effect. University students (N=72;
61 women) who volunteered to participate were asked to fulfill a creative task with a
peer using online software. The peer was actually a fake participant who was programed
to send prepared answers in sequence. Ratings of creativity (fluency, flexibility and
originality) and eye movement data (focus on own vs. peer’s ideas on the screen) were
used to compare students who were induced to have high intrinsic motivation and those
induced to have low intrinsic motivation. Results showed that compared to participants
with low intrinsic motivation, those with high intrinsic motivation showed higher
fluency and flexibility on the creative task and spent a larger percentage of time looking
at their own ideas on the screen. The two groups did not differ in how much they looked at
the peer’s ideas. In addition, students’ percentage dwell time on their own ideas mediated
the beneficial effect of intrinsic motivation on idea fluency. These results suggest that
although intrinsic motivation could enhance the fluency of creative ideas in an online
group, it does not necessarily promote interaction among group members. Given the
importance of interaction in online group setting, findings of this study suggest that in
addition to enhancing intrinsic motivation, other measures should be taken to promote
the interaction behavior in online groups.
Keywords: creativity, motivation, group work, interactivity
... The results reinforce existing research while also introducing new perspectives on how digital collaboration shapes student engagement in online learning environments. The regression analysis (Table 5) indicates a significant positive impact of online peer interaction on student motivation, which aligns with extensive literature emphasising the benefits of collaborative online learning environments in fostering engagement, social connection, and academic persistence (Eom and Ashill 2018;Martin et al. 2023;Zhang et al. 2021). This result supports Self-Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan 2013), which posits that relatedness, autonomy, and competence contribute to intrinsic motivation. ...
... This study provides a comprehensive examination of online peer interaction and its effects on student motivation, integrating the mediating influence of barriers and the moderating role of students' profiles to offer a nuanced understanding of digital learning environments. The findings from the regression analysis confirm that online peer interaction has a significant positive effect on student motivation, reinforcing the existing literature that highlights the motivational benefits of collaborative online learning (Eom and Ashill 2018;Zhang et al. 2021). These results align with Self-Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan 2013), which emphasises relatedness, competence, and autonomy as key drivers of intrinsic motivation in learning environments. ...
Online peer interactions and student motivation: a perception study
Article
This study investigates the complex interrelationships among Online Peer Interaction (OPI), Barriers for Online Peer Interaction (BOPI), and Student Motivation (SM) in online learning environments. Unlike previous research, which primarily examines either the direct impact of peer interaction or the role of barriers separately, this study integrates a mediated-moderation model to provide a more holistic understanding of student motivation in digital settings. The proposed model hypothesises that increased online peer interaction positively correlates with student motivation, with barriers playing a mediating role. Furthermore, it explores whether students' demographic profiles moderate this relationship, addressing a significant gap in existing literature. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this study advances theoretical perspectives by incorporating structural constraints as key mediating factors in online learning. With a diverse sample of 402 students from Mangalore University, the study employs rigorous statistical techniques, including mediation and moderation analyses, to validate its findings. The results reveal that while online peer interaction enhances student motivation, barriers such as technological limitations and communication constraints significantly mediate this effect. Interestingly, demographic factors such as age, gender, and academic level do not significantly moderate this relationship, challenging conventional assumptions about digital learning engagement. By uncovering these nuanced dynamics, this research provides actionable insights for educators and policymakers, advocating for strategies to reduce barriers and enhance peer collaboration in virtual learning environments. This study contributes to both theoretical advancement and practical implementation, offering a refined framework for understanding how digital peer interactions shape student motivation in online education. ARTICLE HISTORY
View
... Additionally, many studies have utilized eye movement analysis to illustrate the intricate process by which motivation affects online learning (Scott & Hand., 2016;Yang et al., 2021;Zhang et al., 2021). These studies investigated collaborative learning from diverse dimensions including visual attention distribution in online tasks and learning performance. ...
... For instance, the study by Yang et al. (2021) found the weak correlations between the motivation, eye-tracking data with the learning performance through measuring of the percentage dwell time. Zhang et al. (2021) found that the groups with different intrinsic motivation did not differ in how much they looked at the peer's ideas through measuring of the percentage dwell time, and they proposed that intrinsic motivation did not guarantee that students would have more interaction in online cooperative tasks. This may be because in addition to considering motivation, other additional support should be taken to promote effective online cooperative learning. ...
Effective learning through task motivation and learning scaffolding: analyzing online collaborative interaction with eye tracking technology
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2025
  • INSTR SCI
Discussion has become a crucial method of interactive learning in online collaborative environments. This study aims to identify the impact of different task motivation compositions and learning scaffolding on attention, learning performance, and behavioral patterns. The 90 Chinese undergraduate and graduate students (Mage=20.38, SDage=1.63) were told that they would be engaged in an online collaborative knowledge-building task with a virtual peer and a teacher. The peer and the teacher were actually simulated participant and their responses were pre-set. ANOVA results indicated that task motivation, but not learning scaffolding, had a significant effect on attention. Task motivation and learning scaffolding interactively accounted for learning performance. Furthermore, the result of mediation analysis shows that the association between task motivation and learning performance was mediated by attention, but the indirect effects of all the mediating variables were not significant between learning scaffolding and learning performance. In addition, students’ deep knowledge construction behavior in online discussion increased significantly in the conceptual and reflective scaffold conditions compared to just providing conceptual scaffolding irrespective of task motivation. These results suggest that although learning scaffolding does not significantly improve learners’ visual attention, the contribution of learning scaffolds to online discussion cannot be neglected. The practical implications of this study for online education are that learning scaffolding, especially reflective scaffolding, should be provided as a way to engage learners in productive, difficult conversations and improve the quality of their discussions in addition to enhancing task motivation.
View
... It suggests that educators in arts and design can amplify this performance by nurturing both intrinsic motivation and achievement motivation (Kadyirov et al., 2024). In an experimental study, intrinsic motivation was found to enhance idea fluency within one group, although it did not necessarily promote interaction among its members (Zhang et al., 2021). ...
... This aligns with previous research showing that intrinsically motivated students experience more positive affect (Stanko-Kaczmarek, 2012) and are more persistent in their creative efforts (Kadyirov et al., 2024). However, intrinsic motivation alone does not promote group interaction (Zhang et al., 2021), highlighting the need for an environment that values intrinsic motivation to enhance creativity and emotional expression. ...
Motivational, Cognitive and Emotional Factors as Predictors of Creative Expression in University Students
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2024
Objective: This study analyzes how motivational, cognitive, and emotional factors influence students' creative expression, highlighting its importance for personal and professional development in academic settings. Theoretical Framework: The research is grounded in key concepts such as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, cognitive factors, and emotional factors, which are essential for the creative process in educational contexts. Method: A linear regression analysis was conducted with a sample of 163 university students from various disciplines. The dependent variable was creative expression, while the independent variables included intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, cognitive factors, and emotional factors. Results and Discussion: The results revealed that intrinsic motivation (β = 0.3872, p < .001), cognitive factors (β = 0.2698, p < .001), and emotional factors (β = 0.2193, p < .001) are significant predictors of creative expression, with intrinsic motivation being the most influential. Extrinsic motivation showed no significant relationship (β = 0.043, p = 0.482). These findings suggest that, in artistic workshops, students are driven more by internal factors than by external incentives. Implications of the Research: The results are relevant for designing educational programs that prioritize intrinsic motivation and emotional engagement, fostering creativity in students. Originality/Value: This study identifies the differential impact of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, offering new perspectives to promote creativity in artistic educational contexts.
View
... Furthermore, Zhang et al. (2020) conducted a study investigating the effect of synchronous and asynchronous learning. Zhang et al. (2020) collected data from a community of inquiry, involving 170 learners. ...
... Furthermore, Zhang et al. (2020) conducted a study investigating the effect of synchronous and asynchronous learning. Zhang et al. (2020) collected data from a community of inquiry, involving 170 learners. They concluded that there are significant differences between both modes of online learning in three factors: social presence and the presence of cognitive skills. ...
Is synchronous online learning more beneficial than asynchronous online learning in a Saudi EFL setting: teachers’ perspectives
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2024
This research investigates the English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ perception of the pros and cons of synchronous and asynchronous online learning for EFL students in Saudi Arabia. 121 EFL teachers from public schools in different regions participated in this study. A questionnaire has been used to collect this study’s main data and distributed it online to all EFL teachers in Saudi Arabia. After the statistical analysis of data, the study’s main findings revealed that the advantages of synchronous learning are helping learners reduce space barriers and saving time for learners. However, the main disadvantages of synchronous learning are the disruption of the internet: slow speed, the miscommunication of learners and getting bored through learning. The main findings for the advantages of asynchronous learning are the chances for learners to replay the lesson many times, the opportunities for learners to have more time for thinking, and the opportunities for learners to enhance autonomy and self-regulated learning. However, the disadvantages perceived by the participants were that asynchronous learning requires more responsibilities from learners in self-controlling, self-motivation, and autonomous learning skills. This study is one of the few studies investigating and comparing EFL teachers’ perceptions of synchronous and asynchronous online learning. Therefore, this research could serve the Ministry of Education by exploring the challenges that instructors face in teaching and highlighting the advantages of online teaching to increase awareness among Saudi teachers of its essential role in EFL learning.
View
... In Turkey, research conducted by Mese and Sevilen (2021) found a reduction in intrinsic motivation in the case of online learning, where this type of educational process can have a negative impact on student motivation if there are problems in the organization of the learning environment. Zhang et al. (2020) consider that one of the most important sources of vitality in organizational environments is intrinsic motivation. Regarding the intrinsic motivation in the online environment, the research highlighted the fact that highly motivated students showed greater fluency and flexibility in the creative accomplishment of work tasks. ...
... Based on the considerations in the above research (Abou-Khalil et al., 2021;Duggal et al., 2021;Ferrer et al., 2022;Lamanauskas et al., 2021;Malik et al., 2020;Martin & Bolliger, 2018;Mese & Sevilen, 2021;Pocatilu et al., 2020;Widiyanti et al., 2021;Zhang et al., 2020), we propose the following research hypothesis: H2: Intrinsic Motivation is a crucial factor in the relationship between the Support that students receive during Online Learning and their Academic Performance. ...
How the support that students receive during online learning influences their academic performance
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
  • Educ Inform Tech
In recent years educational institutions are increasingly using online learning and because of this trend it is necessary to investigate its impact on student academic performance. Although this topic has been addressed in different educational fields before, there is an objective justification for our approach. Thus, the reasoning behind this particular research is the fact that recent findings have shown that the academic performance of students using online education is affected by a series of motivating factors which can have an impact on their performance. The main goal of this paper is to highlight and analyze the mediating effect of intrinsic student motivation and student academic engagement and how they affect the relationship between the range of support, which students receive during their online learning and thus their academic performance. This study was conducted in two higher educational institutions in Mexico and Romania, with a sample of 822 students. The data was analyzed using a second generational PLS-SEM technique. The results confirm that the support students enjoy during online learning has no direct impact on their academic performance, unless it is fully mediated by their own intrinsic motivation and academic engagement. The influence of Gender was also analyzed, but it was not found to be a determining factor of academic performance in both higher educational institutions. These findings not only have theoretical and practical implications for students, teachers and education authorities, they also help us to broaden the field of knowledge in the e-learning environment.
View
... Miro was perceived as less novel and surprising than DALL-E. Moreover, considering that positive affect has often been associated with an increase in divergent thinking [73][74][75] and in flow (e.g., 76 ), it was not surprising to find that brainstorming with DALL-E was also associated with a more intense experience of flow given its inherently emotionally positive nature. DALL-E induced a significantly higher sense of Union of Action-Consciousness, Deconstruction of Time, and Autotelic Experience, as dimensions of flow. ...
View
... techniques and are more open to expressing their creativity (Stewart et al., 2015;Yulianawati, 2019). Particularly in the context of developing narrative writing skills, motivation plays a crucial role. Intrinsic motivation fosters a natural tendency toward exploration and mastery, which is essential for creative performance (da Costa et al., 2015;X. Zhang et al., 2021). Thus, students with higher motivation are not only more receptive to feedback and revisions but also more persistent in overcoming challenges that arise during the writing process, which is an integral part of developing stronger writing skills. Most students find writing a story to be a relatively easy task, while a small group still ...
Exploration of Students' Difficulties and Teachers' Solutions in Narrative Writing Learning in Elementary Schools
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2024
This study reveals that many students struggle with narrative writing, particularly in terms of word choice, theme, and grammar, while the solutions provided by teachers often do not meet individual needs. The aim of this study is to identify students' preferences, challenges, and solutions in narrative writing. A descriptive-qualitative approach was employed, involving 166 fifth-grade students from an elementary school as subjects. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews with teachers, and questionnaires c filled out by students and then analyzed thematically, focusing on difficulties in idea development, vocabulary usage, writing structure, and the solutions offered by teachers. The results show that although students have a high interest in writing stories, they face difficulties in creating a coherent storyline and in developing characters and settings. Other major challenges include vocabulary use and grammar comprehension. Students' preference for group writing and gamification elements indicates great potential for increasing their motivation and engagement. Strategies such as group brainstorming and the use of visual aids have proven effective in helping students design better storylines, enhance creativity, and overcome limitations in narrative structure. In conclusion, collaborative approaches, gamification, and interactive technology can effectively improve students' narrative writing skills by addressing their individual preferences and challenges.
View
... The results of experimental blended learning conducted in many HEIs show that the right combination of online and traditional learning can be more effective and efficient when compared to the face-to-face learning model [5,[27][28]. Results from surveys for student satisfaction conducted worldwide show that the majority of students highly value the blended learning offered and believe that it increases their motivation to learn and engage in training and has the potential to lead to better results [1, 5,14,18,23,[29][30][31][32][33][34]. As a significant benefit, many students value the ability to easily access learning content anytime, anywhere [1, 23,[35][36]. ...
Quality of Blended Learning Implementation in HEIs: Tool for Monitoring the Use of e-Learning Management Systems
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2024
Despite the wide acceptance of blended learning in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) worldwide, the issue of monitoring its implementation has been little addressed in the literature. The paper presents the results of the first stage of the study for the development and implementation of tools for monitoring the degree of use of blended learning courses within the learning process in HEIs. The tool introduced here extracts data from the database of the e-learning environment and visualizes the results of the data analysis in dashboards that provide valuable insights to decision-making for improving the quality of blended learning implementation. The tool allows governing bodies to track trends in the user registration, development, and updating of blended learning courses, the number of learners, and the usability of the courses by users for a selected period. Based on the results of tool experimental testing, goals for its further development are set.
View
Educational environment as a significant motivational factor
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
This research is devoted to the study of main characteristics of educational environment and the level of its influence on learning motivation of secondary education students. The purpose of the study is to determine how to create a favourable educational environment that meets the needs and interests of students and supports positive motivation. In this research we consider educational environment as a set of conditions in which the educational process takes place, including: goals, objectives, methods and forms of education; pedagogical style; school atmosphere; the equipment of schools. Educational environment is a significant factor that determines the success of learning, contributes to the development of students’ interest in learning, their independence and critical thinking, and increases internal motivation. Within the framework of this study, we rely on a personalized and value-based approach to the organization of learning process, and use such methods as: system analysis, generalization, comparison, theoretical analysis of scientific literature. We conducted an anonymous survey of 178 students from grades 8–11 of 5 Volzhsky schools to analyze the possibilities of practical implementation of theoretical results. The analysis of modern scientific publications on pedagogy and pedagogical psychology, as well as the results of the survey, allowed us to draw the following conclusions. It is possible to increase students’ motivation by: making clear definitions of goals and objectives of education that are achievable by students; using teaching methods that promote activation of students’ cognitive activity and increase their interest in learning; using of a pedagogical style focused on creating a favourable atmosphere in the classroom and on supporting students. Schools, that are provided with modern digital equipment, comfortable classrooms, and that are practising a democratic management style, usually have a significantly higher level of student motivation. Students in such schools participate in educational and entertainment events actively.
View
Artificial Intelligence Innovations in Visual Arts and Design Education
Chapter
  • Oct 2024
Visual arts and design education is an important area in higher education, and artificial intelligence (AI), which can provide personalised learning experiences, plays a pivotal role in facilitating the learning process and student creativity within it. This chapter provides an insight into the current use of AI technologies in the teaching of visual arts and design, highlighting their impact on student engagement. Through the integration of current research findings as well as detailed case studies, it reveals how AI can be effective in fostering creativity and meeting specific pedagogical needs in the field of visual arts and design. In addition, the article explores the role of AI in visual arts and design education and highlights the ethical issues encountered when integrating technology into educational frameworks. Finally, the chapter looks at future research trends and calls for further studies to improve the quality of teaching and learning in visual arts and design education and to prepare students for a technology-led future.
View
Creativity and Intrinsic Motivation: Exploring a Complex Relationship
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2016
  • J Appl Behav Sci
This research examines the link between intrinsic motivation and creativity using inductive theory building to explore the intrinsic motivation of creative people. Data were gathered at six case study sites in France using semidirective interviews to explore how creative people experience their creativity and motivation in various contexts. Data analysis suggested a 2 × 2 model of the types of intrinsic motivation for creativity composed of two creativity dimensions based on the relationship to the setting (independent vs. dependent) and the focus of the creative behavior (egocentric vs. other-centered). The model suggests promising avenues for further research, and the development of theory about the complex relationships between intrinsic motivation and creativity. Furthermore, the model suggests possible insights into ways to encourage and support intrinsic motivation, and hence creativity, in organizations.
View
Interaction of the originality of peers’ ideas and students’ openness to experience in predicting creativity in online collaborative groups
Article
Full-text available
There has been growing interest in the possibility that peers’ ideas can stimulate students’ creativity in group contexts. However, empirical research on this issue is limited. This study tested the hypothesis that peers’ ideas and students’ openness to experience would predict student creativity and attention to peers’ ideas. Undergraduate students (n = 60) completed creative tasks in an online collaborative group in which the ideas of “peers” were pre‐programmed. Mixed ANOVAs showed support for the hypothesis. Specifically, students with higher (but not lower) openness, when exposed to a high (but not low) rate of peers’ original ideas, paid greater attention to those ideas and were more creative. The implication for education is that teachers should encourage students to share more of their original ideas and to pay more attention to peers’ ideas in online collaborative groups.
View
Electronic Brainstorming Research and its Implications for E-Planning
Article
  • Jan 2015
Sharing ideas efficiently and effectively in groups is a challenge groups and teams face on a daily basis. In typical face to face meetings, many factors can serve to inhibit a full sharing of ideas and thus the development of effective decisions and plans. To overcome the limitations of face to face meetings, computer based group decision support systems have been developed to facilitate both idea exchange and evaluation. Evidence suggests that such systems can lead to beneficial outcomes. However, unless they are utilized appropriately, even electronic meetings may not effectively tap the intellectual and creative potential of groups. The authors will critically evaluate the theoretical and practical issues involved in the use of this technology and make recommendations for using electronic systems for e-planning.
View
The relation between openness and creativity is moderated by attention to peers’ ideas in electronic brainstorming
Article
  • Aug 2019
An emerging body of research has focused on students’ creativity in group contexts, with the assumption that students could be inspired by peers’ ideas. Although students’ openness and attention to peers’ ideas are claimed to play important roles in their creativity in group settings, there is little empirical research that tests this assumption. This study examined the moderating effect of attention to peers’ ideas in the relation between openness and creativity in electronic brainstorming. Participants were 91 undergraduate students who took about 10 min to complete a creative idea generation task during electronic brainstorming. Regression analyses found that students who were characterized by high openness were more creative, but only when they showed more attention to peers’ ideas. This suggests that electronic brainstorming can be useful for enhancing the creativity of some students.
View
Interest-driven creator theory: towards a theory of learning design for Asia in the twenty-first century
Article
  • Oct 2018
Asian education is known for its examination-driven orientation, with the downsides of distorting the processes of learning and teaching, diminishing students’ interest in learning, and failing to nurture twenty-first century competencies among students. As a group of Asian researchers, we have been developing Interest-Driven Creator (IDC) Theory, a design theory based on three anchored concepts, namely interest, creation, and habit. Each of these anchored concepts is represented by a loop composed of three components. In the interest loop, the three components are triggering, immersing, and extending. The components of the creation loop are imitating, combining, and staging. The habit loop consists of cuing environment, routine, and harmony. These three loops are interconnected in various ways, with their characteristics revealed by the design process. We hypothesize that technology-supported learning activities that are designed with reference to IDC Theory will enable students to develop interest in learning, be immersed in the creation process, and, by repeating this process in their daily routines, strengthen habits of creation. Furthermore, students will excel in learning performance, develop twenty-first century competencies, and become lifelong interest-driven creators. To sharpen our understanding and further the development of the theory, we need more discussion and collaborative efforts in the community. Hypotheses arising from this theory can be tested, revised, or refined by setting up and investigating IDC Theory-based experimental sites. By disseminating the framework, foundations, and practices to the various countries and regions of Asia, we hope that it will bring about compelling examples and hence a form of quality education for the twenty-first century, which is an alternative to the examination-driven education system. In this paper, we present an overall introduction to IDC Theory and its history, and discuss some of the steps for advancing it in the future.
View
Level of intrinsic motivation of distance education students in e-learning environments
Article
  • Jan 2018
According to researches, motivation that initiates and sustains behaviour is one of the most significant components of learning in any environment. Accordingly, level of intrinsic motivation triggers and sustains the interest of the open and distance education students when it comes to learning on their own in e-learning environments. Despite a comprehensive literature regarding the motivation of those learning in traditional learning environments, the number of studies addressing the motivation of open and distance education students in e-learning environments is not sufficient. In this context, this study aims at determining the level of intrinsic motivation of open and distance education students. Thus, data were collected from 1,639 distance education students in 22 programmes, through Intrinsic Motivation in e-Learning Questionnaire developed and validated to that end. Analyses carried out indicate that the level of intrinsic motivation of open and distance education students is high in e-learning environments, but there is not a statistically significant difference by gender, programme structure (graduate/undergraduate), instruction type (distance–blended), and academic disciplines.
View
Creating for Others: An Experimental Study of the Effects of Intrinsic Motivation and Prosocial Motivation on Creativity
Article
  • Jan 2015
Scholars of creativity research usually believe that intrinsic motivation is conducive to creativity. However,more and more results have challenged and questioned this conclusion. According to the latest motivated information processing model,prosocial motivation can help people think about not only novel but also useful aspects of ideas to improve the whole creativity. This study used 2×2 between-subjects design. Through the manipulation of intrinsic motivation and prosocial motivation,participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions and completed a creative task. ANOVA indicated that there was a significant interaction effect of intrinsic motivation and prosocial motivation on creativity,and only when people had high levels of intrinsic motivation coupled with high levels of prosocial motivation,they would be most creative. This study proved the importance of prosocial motivation in creative process,and opened a new perspective of creativity research.
View
The roles of rarity and organization of stimulus material in divergent thinking
Article
  • Aug 2016
  • Think Skills Creativ
This study examines the effects of rarity and organization of stimulus material on divergent thinking. Divergent thinking was assessed by the Unusual Uses test, in which participants had to generate as many uses as possible for a wooden ruler. Participants were primed with either rare or common ideas which were presented either in three consequent sets, or simultaneously in one set. We found a significant effect of rarity on originality. With regard to originality, participants primed with rare stimuli significantly outperformed their counterparts primed with common stimuli. We also found a significant effect of organization on fluency. With regard to this parameter, participants primed with the distributed stimulus set significantly outperformed their counterparts primed with the simultaneous set. Finally, we found marginally significant interactive effect of rarity and organization on fluency and originality. Participants who were primed with rare stimuli in distributed sets tended to obtain higher fluency and originality scores than participants in other groups.
View
View
The role of students' motivation and participation in predicting performance on a MOOC
Article
  • Mar 2016
Over the last 5 years, massive open online courses (MOOCs) have increasingly provided learning opportunities across the world in a variety of domains. As with many emerging educational technologies, why and how people come to MOOCs needs to be better understood and importantly what factors contribute to learners' MOOC performance. It is known that online learning environments require greater levels of self-regulation, and that high levels of motivation are crucial to activate these skills. However, motivation is a complex construct and research on how it functions in MOOCs is still in its early stages. Research presented in this article investigated how motivation and participation influence students' performance in a MOOC, more specifically those students who persist to the end of the MOOC. Findings indicated that the strongest predictor of performance was participation, followed by motivation. Motivation influenced and was influenced by students' participation during the course. Moreover, situational interest played a crucial role in mediating the impact of general intrinsic motivation and participation on performance. The results are discussed in relation to how educators and designers of MOOCs can use knowledge emerging from motivational assessments and participation measures gleaned from learning analytics to tailor the design and delivery of courses.
View