Abstract :
This study investigated what kind of supportive information can be effective in
improving the situation where there were severe motivational challenges.
Motivational and volitional email messages (MVEM) were constructed based
on an integrated model of four theories and methods, which are Keller’s ARCS
model, Kuhl’s action control theory, Gollwitzer’s Rubicon model of motivation
and volition, and Visser & Keller’s strategy of motivational messages, and
distributed with personal messages created based on audience analysis to a
large undergraduate class. In order to examine the effects of the messages on
motivation for the course, study habits (study time), and achievement (test
grade), MVEM were sent to 30 students (Personal Message Group: PMG)
with personal messages and to 71 students (Non-Personal Message Group:
NonPMG) without personal messages. Results indicated that PMG showed a
higher level of motivation, especially in regard to confidence, than NonPMG.
Also, the mean test grade of PMG increased so that the initial difference of the
test grade between the two groups significantly decreased. Although there was
no difference between the two groups in study habits, the findings suggest that
personal messages addressing specific individual problems raise the positive
effects of MVEM constructed based on the integrated model. Future research
directions are discussed
