The relationship between motivation and engagement
Motivation and engagement are distinct concepts in learning.
Motivated learners focus on outcomes and want to learn, while engaged learners are interested in the activity and aim to complete it. Motivation influences how easily someone can be engaged, with intrinsically motivated individuals more readily paying attention. Though engagement alone doesn’t equate to motivation, it can enhance learning outcomes by fostering incidental learning – acquiring knowledge unintentionally, like remembering some lyrics or quiz answers. The more attention learners give to a course, the more incidental learning occurs, supporting overall success.
Challenges to developing motivated learners
Motivating learners to do more than complete the training as quickly as possible can be tough, but there are some specific challenges that can make it harder:
- Learners have poor experiences of past training initiatives
- Learners don’t perceive the benefits of the training
- No time is set aside for training
- Lack of workplace learning culture
With these challenges in mind, what can we do to design courses that motivate learners?
Creating a learning culture
Set the tone at the top: if learners see that training and personal development is important to the organisations, their motivation to learn will increase.
Vary the type of learning initiatives you offer. Is most training done face-to-face, or through structured e-learning? If so, consider just-in-time resources or support. A short video or even a downloadable checklist may be more appropriate that a formal course for some topics. This way you can keep the more formal learning for the topics that require the highest impacts – and learners therefore recognise that every training initiative is important.
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Motivational tools and techniques
Attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction are the four major conditions necessary for learners to become and remain motivated. This is a popular motivational model by John Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design.
Some other techniques include personalised learning, gamification and rewards for success like certification.
Take an integrated approach
Intrinsically motivated learners have the best learning outcome as they value the training and engage fully. Extrinsically motivated learners can do well too, as long as you can align a motivation to learn with their intrinsic motivations.
To foster motivation, take a look at the following suggestions: spend time on Training Needs Analysis; focus on measurable learning outcomes; minimise tick-box learning activities; make time for learning; and celebrate success.
How can we help?
Designing learning experiences that truly motivate and engage can be challenging – but you’re not alone. We’re here to support you in creating impactful learning that resonates with your learners. Whether you need help developing a learning strategy, designing courses that spark curiosity, we can work with you to make it happen.
Contact
Jess Rust
Team & Project Lead
Aleido Learning UK
+44 (0) 1926 642935
- at https://form.apsis.one/ELa7XnMAiK