The role of motivation in the use of lecture behaviors in the online classroom

Aim/Purpose Extant research provides conflicting information regarding the role that lecture behaviors play within e-learning lectures. This study sought to understand what role motivation plays in increasing the likelihood that students engage in lecture behaviors in general, and how motivation affects the differing types of lecture behaviors. Background The growth of online learning has increased the importance of video lectures as a means of delivering content. As with offline lectures, students may find it useful to adapt and change the way they interact with lectures to improve their learning. One possible approach that allows students to effectively manage any challenges they have in understanding a lesson is to initiate lecture behaviors to alter the flow of information. Methodology In the present study, a survey was administered to cyber university students (n = 2434) in order to examine at the relationship between intrinsic goal orientation (a type of motivation) and levels of lecture behaviors. Contribution This research fills an important gap by showing the effects that motivation can have on how students interact with video lectures and suggests the ways in which students engaging in specific lecture behaviors do so in order to gain a better un-derstanding of the content. As lecture behaviors are an important part of how students are interacting with this important and new method of teaching, it is important to understand which characteristics make students more likely to en-gage in lecture behaviors. Findings Students who have higher levels of motivation are more likely to engage in lecture behaviors. These lecture behaviors may include splitting attention between media sources, pausing the video lecture, rewatching parts of the video lecture, and di-verting attention to obtain better audio or visual clarity. Recommendations for Practitioners Instead of just tracking students' viewing progress on each course lecture video, instructors should further endeavor to measure their students' use lecture behav-iors in relation to online course lecture content. Doing so can provide valuable insight into students' level of engagement with course lecture materials and over-all levels of intrinsic goal orientation. Recommendations for Researchers Researchers need to start factoring in how student characteristics interact with instructional engagement when investigating online learning. Impact on Society Improvement in our understanding of online learning helps improve the quality of instruction, which provides a net gain for society. Future Research This paper is a broad overview using a survey, so future research should focus on a more detailed analysis of lecture behaviors, possibly using controlled experi-ments.