Motivating Ill-Structured Problem Solving in a Web-Based Peer-Group Learning Environment: A Learning-Goal Perspective

Abstract

Motivation effort is one of the critical components that enable students to engage in the process of ill-structured problem solving. This article chronicles the development and evaluation of a motivation-supported problem-solving environment promoting learning goals. The environment was created by developing learning-goal oriented contexts that included (1) presenting task messages that stressed the intrinsic value of learning, (2) allowing learners to control their own learning activities, and (3) providing self-referenced evaluations. Forty-six middle-school students participated. One major finding was that a learning-goal oriented context was a powerful motivational strategy that boosted students' intrinsic motivation for ill-structured problem solving.