Generating Motivation to Learn Via Tailored Lesson Introductions

Motivation to learn is difficult to generate when learners are uninterested in the topic. This quasi-experimental study explored behavioral construct tailoring as an instructional message design technique to generate motivation and improve cognitive performance. Ninety-eight college students preand post-appraised a lesson, completed a cognitive assessment, and attributed performance to affect or competence-related factors. A risk assessment was used to strategically assign experimental learners to one of three tailored lesson introductions. Results indicated that experimental group learners, on some subscales, were more motivated. Positive trends were found for some affective and competence-related performance attributions, as well as cognitive performance. These findings warrant additional research into behavioral construct tailoring. DOI: 10.4018/jicte.2009041001 IGI PUBLISHING This paper appears in the publication, International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, Volume 5, Issue 4 edited by Lawrence A. Tomei © 2009, IGI Global 701 E. Ch colate Avenue, Hershey PA 17033-1240, USA Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.igi-global.com ITJ 5402 2 International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, 5(4), 1-17, October-December 2009 Copyright © 2009, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. consequently, generates motivation to learn. Tailoring affords this opportunity.