6.2.4 Motivation

While cognitive factors are important in terms of learning, affective factors play an instrumental role in second-language learning. Stern (1983) states that "... positive attitudes related to the language and the ethnolinguistic community are closely associated with higher levels of language proficiency" (p. 386). Positive attitudes towards the learning situation itself independent of the language can also result in higher proficiency. Beliefs grouped in this sub-category have in common that they associate use of OLEs with positive attitudes towards learning and with increased learning. Pusak and Otto (1997) provide an explanation for the motivating effects of OLEs in their discussion of multi-media. They argue that students can be much more intellectually engaged by interacting with complex mediated programs that present language and culture in context than they ever were performing repetitive drills: "They are motivated both by authentic experiences with the language and by the prospect of gaining skills that might have practical application for them..." (p. 6).

The multimedia environment of OLEs offers extensive opportunities for motivation according to some of the beliefs expressed by this study’s participants. Teachers remarked that students appear more interested and respond more enthusiastically in French class when they assign Internet activities or when they tell students that the information came from the Internet. However, explanations varied about why students appear more interested by the Internet. Beliefs attributed the motivation to the fact that students "find it fun and interactive", that they like the "instant feedback" as well as the "exotic flavour" and that "they can have fun while still encountering the target language". One teacher attributed the interest and motivation to the fact that online activities appeared to students to be "more interesting than a worksheet" and were able "to break up the monotony" of certain activities such as reading a book. These beliefs confirm some of the findings of Muehleisen (1997) who attributed the motivating quality of the Internet to the fact that students see it as new and exciting and as a tool they will need in their future careers.

The sources of motivation identified by teachers and even by Muehleisen differ from those of Bracewell et al. (1998) who posit that increased interest and motivation result from "a greater diversity of learning goals, projects, and outcomes" (p.14). The fact that teachers see online learning as being motivating may be less important than why they believe it to be motivating. The long-term, fundamental motivating factors of OLEs relate to their capacity to transform the learning situation into one which is student-centered thus focused on their needs, one which allows student-control, and one which allows students the opportunities to set goals and determine the paths for learning. These elements are more likely to provide lasting motivation than would the exotic flavour, or instant feedback of an online grammar lesson. Reeves’ (1993) studies found that the user-friendly and appealing features of multimedia comprised elements of which students quickly tired. As Pusak and Otto (1997) argued, the "solid pedagogical design and content" are no substitute for "the glitzy bells and whistles that seem so attractive to the casual observer".

A similar reaction is evident in beliefs that portray OLEs as a means to extrinsically motivate students to want to learn French. These beliefs focused on the capacity of OLEs to motivate students who would otherwise complain that French "sucks". Another teacher described how she chooses to use OLEs with her students in order to counteract her students’ lack of motivation for learning the language. Beliefs such as these that emphasize the extrinsic, superficially-motivating aspects of OLEs echo the reaction during the early phases of CALL when teachers valued the computer’s capacity to take away some of the drudgery of learning a second language.

In 1987, Hubbard described CALL software as that which motivates the learner to use the software and to learn the language. Evolution of use in technology particularly has shown us that the potential of OLEs lies in their capacity to motivate intrinsically through meaningful, purposeful, authentic and active learning situations and not through being fun or attractive. A further important potential of the capacity of OLEs to motivate intrinsically is through improvement in self-image and self-esteem. Williams and Burden’s (1997) propositions for teaching and learning from a constructivist perspective in the 21st century stress the important influence of the individual’s self-concept in language learning. One teacher described how her students’ proficiency in using the computer and their successful completion of assigned tasks provided them "with feelings of success". Beliefs such as these reflect an awareness of the importance of the individual's self-concept. No doubt that students’ motivation could be heightened further through greater learner control whereby the "assigned tasks" were replaced by projects or tasks designed by the learner instead of being assigned by the teacher.

Teachers’ beliefs in the capacity of technology to provide extrinsic motivation in order to counter classroom problems related to a disinterest in learning French, or to the monotony of classroom learning are reminiscent of the early stages of technology use in language teaching that relied on the capacity of the computer to take the boredom out of language learning. They contrast pointedly with beliefs that recognize the capacity of technology to provide intrinsic motivation through an increased ability to focus on and meet students’ needs and interests. Such beliefs recognize the capacity of OLEs to offer opportunities for greater student control and to provide individualized paths for learning.