The design needs to incorporate context for situational interest that allows users to easily interact with the program. The context needs to be safe for users to gain tools that benefit them in their daily lives. Features that increase motivation are visual and audio encouragements, such as hints or celebratory moments. Increasing motivation leads to continued success, so an effective design creates positive feedback loops as users continue to learn



Interaction between Design, Context and Motivation

A company is developing a new coding app for adults who are complete beginners. They are deciding between two designs to keep users engaged. Based on principles of motivation for this user group, evaluate which approach is more likely to be effective and justify your reasoning.

Evaluating Motivational Design in a Learning App

Motivational bias is the cognitive tendency to hold onto incorrect intuitive beliefs simply because it is emotionally pleasing or comforting if they were true. People maintain these incorrect beliefs, often despite a lack of empirical evidence, because the beliefs provide hope or foster positive feelings about themselves.

Motivational Bias

Adult beginners tend to need higher levels of extrinsic motivation with low percieved risk of failure to stay motivated Enjoyable learning (through games) attract higher levels of participants from all age groups, and show improved learning ability.


Grinnell College

Google

App construction needs to include a proper design, relatable context, and the ability to motivate. 

Learning with apps

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

The learning needs to pertain to every day life, such as interactions that could happen with family or colleagues It needs to be catered to the expected age group. Kids interacting with child-like material (i.e. what games they play with friends), adults with adult-like material ( i.e. how they interact at a job) 

Context

Motivation

Literacy and language are extremely important in current day. Lack of literacy skills means lower income or lack of opportunity in the job market. People who have low literacy skills tend to have struggles in their daily life regarding child care, transportation, poor home situations, and declining mental states. In person literacy programs are hard to access either through financial reasons or time constraints, which makes digital the best option.

Importance of digital learning - Language

Amrita addressed Design, Context and Motivation elements. It's main targets were ESL learners who tested at a 1st to 3rd grade level. It was designed to be scalable at a national level, and showed benefits to ESL and native speakers.

Amrita Learning App

Having a mobile platform is best, so a phone app would be the best choice Reading and writing lessons should be limited based on current language ability to prevent overwhelming the user The app should build confidence through positive reinforcement Catering to a diverse group means multiple languages need to be programed in.

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