A dynamic mental state associated with the desire and willingness to exert effort towards the achievement of a goal. A motivated person is one that strives to achieve his/her aim, be it short or long term. Being a mental state,
motivation is a function of the person, but being a dynamic state, it is also a function of the situation. According to Atkinson & Feather (1966), a student’s
motivation to invest time and effort in learning depends on his or her expectations of success and on the perceived value of good achievement. Some authors, such as Kuhl (2000), see lack of
motivation like a consequence, rather than a cause, of performance deficits that occur when people repeatedly face failure. This leads to the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic
motivation. The former is when people engage in an activity because they like it or they are deeply interested in it. The latter has to do with obtaining external rewards like praise, money or good grades, as well as avoiding punishment or damage. In general, intrinsic
motivation leads to deep learning, while extrinsic
motivation might entail rote or performance oriented-learning. However, the potential of extrinsic
motivation should not be underestimated because intrinsic
motivation is easily endangered by many external factors, such as for example the need for money.
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Supporting Self-Regulated Learning with ICT