Assignment Design and Its Effects on Japanese College Freshmen's Motivation in L2 Emergency Online Courses: A Qualitative Study

Autor/inn/en	Ismailov, Murod; Ono, Yuichi
Titel	Assignment Design and Its Effects on Japanese College Freshmen's Motivation in L2 Emergency Online Courses: A Qualitative Study
Quelle	In: Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 30 (2021) 3, S.263-278 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Ismailov, Murod)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0119-5646
DOI	10.1007/s40299-021-00569-7
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; College Freshmen; Learning Motivation; Second Language Learning; English (Second Language); Distance Education; Online Courses; COVID-19; Pandemics; Assignments; Reading Instruction; Learner Engagement; Instructional Materials; Psychological Patterns; Cognitive Processes; Difficulty Level; Social Isolation; Interpersonal Competence; Interaction; Japan + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Studienanfänger; Motivation for studies; Lernmotivation; Zweitsprachenerwerb; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Online course; Online-Kurs; Assignment; Auftrag; Zuweisung; Leseunterricht; Lehrmaterial; Lehrmittel; Unterrichtsmedien; Cognitive process; Kognitiver Prozess; Schwierigkeitsgrad; Soziale Isolation; Interpersonale Kompetenz; Interaktion
Abstract	Unlike conventional distance learning, the COVID-19-induced emergency online learning environment has resulted in students experiencing prolonged social isolation and anxiety, thereby creating additional barriers to their motivation to learn. Studying under these conditions influences students' motivation to complete and turn in course-related assignments, especially newly enrolled students taking the English reading online courses as second language learners (L2). The aim of this qualitative study is to examine various factors influencing Japanese college freshmen's (n = 80) motivation when completing graded online assignments as part of asynchronous English reading courses held during the COVID-19 pandemic. The post-course survey of students from three separate classes was used to capture a detailed panorama of learner motivation. Results from an inductive content analysis of responses indicated that higher levels of motivation were strongly associated with assignments that facilitated learner autonomy, social interaction, personal interest, and practical utility of the task. Conversely, decreased motivation appears to be strongly associated with assignments reinforcing the perception of high difficulty, personal inefficacy, and cognitive overload. These findings are consistent with studies examining online learners' motivation in the pre-pandemic period. This study found that intrinsic motivation plays an explicit role in enhancing learners' engagement with instructional materials. Researchers recommend that, especially during emergencies such as a pandemic or major crisis, teachers should deliberately and extensively employ strategies to enhance the motivational appeal of instructional materials and assignments. When designing online assignments for freshman courses, special attention must be paid to psychological (autonomy, utility, relevance), cognitive (information overload), social (relatedness, interaction), and environmental (an emergency, uncertainty, isolation) conditions of learning. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01