2019 - Criteria for Motivational and Engaging eLearning Activities. Technology and the Psychology of Second Language Learners and Users (New Language Learning and Teaching Environments)

Krystalli Pinelopi, Panagiotidis Panagiotis, Arvanitis Panagiotis (2020). Criteria for Motivational and Engaging eLearning Activities. Technology and the Psychology of Second Language Learners and Users (New Language Learning and Teaching Environments). Επιμέλεια:Mark R. Freiermuth & N. Zarrinabadi, [Palgrave McMillan], ISBN:3-030-34211-5, ISBN-13:978-3-030-34211-1, vol.1.

Inspiring students to have a favorable predilection for knowledge, as well as encouraging and motivating them to learn are important yet difficult responsibilities for language instructors. This is explained by the fact that learning requires the mobilization of personal, cognitive, emotional and behavioral resources. The challenge for the educators is to find the most appropriate way to use and to exploit Web 2.0 tools and services in order to enhance learner motivation and to help learners to engage in the learning process and to overcome problems of self-esteem.

This chapter then proposes key criteria that can draw the links between technologies, motivation and engagement to learn a foreign language. To this end, based on three motivational models and inspired by gamification, we have suggested a list of 15 criteria for teachers to consider when designing online activities. The above criteria were ranked by 72 students in the School of French at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki according to their significance. The criteria are classified according to students’ perceptions and can be applied in the language learning classroom.

Keywords: user autonomy, language learning technology, user motivation, user engagement, Immediate feedback and self-assessment, eLearning activities

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