Motivation – Included or Excluded from E-learning

The learners’ motivation has an impact on the quality of learning, no matter how it is provided, be it via classroom, eLearning or blended learning. So far, in e-Learning, motivation has been mainly considered in terms of instructional design. Research in this direction suggests several ways to improve learners’ motivation. However, we claim that even more could be done: while being well known in classical learning, a motivational approach based on self-cognitions (selfefficacy, self-regulation etc.) is starting to make its way in e-Learning, showing the benefits of a personalized treatment. This paper argues for such an approach, underlining the possibilities for increasing motivation and also for integrating it into current research directions in e-Learning.