Abstract:

The use of adaptive techniques, to foster student motivation in Higher Education, is currently barely proven. Adaptive techniques allow the tailoring of e-learning contents to the individual needs of learners. The SensoMot research project examines sensory acquisition of motivational indicators via wearables for the adaptive control of learning contents in an e-learning platform. Through suitable adaptation mechanisms the learning process shall be controlled in a way that it matches the learner´s motivation. Learning blockades shall be detected early on by unobtrusive, non-reactive sensors and learning contents shall be adapted accordingly. Before merging all system components of the aspired SensoMot e-learning system several studies regarding learning motivation and the perception of adaptation have to be conducted. The e-learning platform NanoTecLearn serves as a case study for the multilevel examination-process. It addresses the topic of micro- and nanotechnologies. Based on the results of a motivation-centred e-learning-study among students in engineering sciences at the Ilmenau University of Technology, an adaptation mechanism has been designed. It adjusts the user navigation based on two motivational indicators. A comparative study was conducted with more than 130 students testing variants of adaptations.

This paper examines user experience and perceived control of the three adaptation techniques,
(a) direct guidance,
(b) link annotation,
(c) agent, compared to the non-adaptive system as a control group in an experimental study design.

This study shows how the adaptation techniques impact the user experience of an e-learning platform as well as highlights characteristics to consider, when designing a motivating adaptive e-learning environment. Results of the study indicate general benefits of adaptation for motivation and illustrate the specific benefits of each adaptation technique.

Keywords:

Adaptation Techniques, Adaptive e-learning, Learning Motivation, User Experience.