Development of an e-Learning Motivation Index

Motivation is the driving force to initiate and sustain learner participation in e-Learning environment. Since identifying the extent of motivation is important, this study aims to develop an e-Learning Motivation Index that quantitatively measures motivation concisely and intuitively, capturing the different impact of factors on learner participation. Index development starts with the General Function Establishment. Grounded in the Expectancy-Value Theory and the Self-Regulated Learning Theory, learning motivation is defined as value, cost, cognitive regulation, and scheduling. These act as motivational factors impacting on learner participation, defined in the General Function. Measures for independent and dependent variables are designed to utilize a survey and an experiment on MoodleCloud. After an experiment, analysis using SPSS provides the result that value and scheduling are two factors that significantly impact learner participation. The more learners value learning and have scheduling skills, the more they participate in e-Learning. These results were expressed in a regression function and normalized to derive an e-Learning Motivation Index. This index can assist learners in building learning strategies and educational providers in providing tailored strategies for learners’ characteristics to promote learner participation.