Integrating Motivational Aspects into the Design of Learning Support in Organizations Christine Kunzmann Andreas Schmidt Volker Braun David Czech Benjamin Fletschinger Silke Kohler Verena Lüber FZI Research Center for Information Technologies Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences, Germany contact@christine-kunzmann.de | aschmidt@fzi.de http://mature-ip.eu

Outline Introduction: why is the consideration of motivation important? Ethnographically informed study Model of motivational aspects Methodology for motivational design Conclusions & Outlook MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

Introduction: why is the consideration of motivation important?

Ethnographically informed study

Model of motivational aspects

Methodology for motivational design

Conclusions & Outlook

Introduction Employee motivation at the workplace is a very important aspect This particularly applies to learning, collaboration, and knowledge sharing But little has been done to address it In KM a lot of focus has been given to monetary incentives with very mixed success, e.g. short-lived, side-effects, can be off-putting for creative and genuine knowledge workers MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

Employee motivation at the workplace is a very important aspect

This particularly applies to learning, collaboration, and knowledge sharing

But little has been done to address it

In KM a lot of focus has been given to monetary incentives

with very mixed success, e.g. short-lived, side-effects, can be off-putting for creative and genuine knowledge workers

Why is motivation so difficult to address? There are plenty of models for human motivation in different fields They help to describe a given situation , but they are of little use for deciding what to do in a (socio-technical) learning support systems. Frequently only focussed on the individual (psychology) Or too narrow in their understanding of human needs Problem: motivation is a generic phenomenon, but can only be addressed in a context-specific way . MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

There are plenty of models for human motivation in different fields

They help to describe a given situation , but they are of little use for deciding what to do in a (socio-technical) learning support systems.

Frequently only focussed on the individual (psychology)

Or too narrow in their understanding of human needs

Problem: motivation is a generic phenomenon, but can only be addressed in a context-specific way .

Our goals Our (wider) context : support „knowledge maturing“ Collective learning in professional contexts Mostly informal learning How can we provide a helpful framework for designing a learning support system that takes care of motivational aspects? MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

Our (wider) context : support „knowledge maturing“

Collective learning in professional contexts

Mostly informal learning

How can we provide a helpful framework for designing a learning support system that takes care of motivational aspects?

Our approach Ethnographically informed study Long-lasting ethnographic studies not possible Rather „rapid ethnography“: Immersing into the working environment with ideally a previously established relationship Primary study at a training department in a hospital Comparison with other studies in IT and other service companies as part of the MATURE project => We derived a motivational model from it Student project team working together with two big companies for validating the model MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

Ethnographically informed study

Long-lasting ethnographic studies not possible

Rather „rapid ethnography“: Immersing into the working environment with ideally a previously established relationship

Primary study at a training department in a hospital

Comparison with other studies in IT and other service companies as part of the MATURE project

=> We derived a motivational model from it

Student project team working together with two big companies for validating the model

Ethnographically informed study (1) Results of the study Some positive indicators for motivators But vast majority covered barriers positive indicators: curiosity and personal interest membership in a community personal standards status and power MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

Results of the study

Some positive indicators for motivators

But vast majority covered barriers

positive indicators:

curiosity and personal interest

membership in a community

personal standards

status and power

Ethnographically informed study (2) on the negative side (barriers ): usability (of software systems) regulations (by the organization) workload and lack of resources geographical barriers lack of help lack of money personal attitude competition team culture MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

on the negative side (barriers ):

usability (of software systems)

regulations (by the organization)

workload and lack of resources

geographical barriers

lack of help

lack of money

personal attitude

competition

team culture

Model for Motivational aspects MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

Intervention: Individual Context Individual Context Interests allow for pursuit of individual interests and account for individual needs (e.g., curiosity) experiencing competence experiencing autonomy personal sense of perfectionism Capability human resource development, e.g., training, job enrichment, mentoring etc.

Intervention: interpersonal MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks Interpersonal Context Cooperative improving the economies of cooperation create and exploit social dynamics establish team culture overcome geographical distance awarenesss Affective team building promoting communication and empathy limit competition

Intervention: Work context MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks Work Context Enablers appropriateness of tool support ensuring usability ensuring smooth transitions between different systems ensuring reliability Organizational changing organizational structure (e.g., more permissive) changing regulations appreciation, valuing of creativity, new ideas incentive systems

Methodology for incorporating motivation into the design of learning support Immersion of technical developers in the workplace reality as part of ethnographically informed studies guided by the model as presented for creating a rich understanding of the context Derivation of personas a precise description of a user’s characteristics what he/she wants to accomplish with an explicit consideration of the three aspects of the model MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

Immersion of technical developers in the workplace reality

as part of ethnographically informed studies

guided by the model as presented

for creating a rich understanding of the context

Derivation of personas

a precise description of a user’s characteristics

what he/she wants to accomplish with an explicit consideration of the three aspects of the model

Methodology (2) Development of use case descriptions for those personas direct interaction of developers and users (or their representatives) with an explicit section on interventions targeted to motivational aspects or context conditions 4. Deriving functional and non-functional requirements from those descriptions 5. Formative evaluation of early prototypes with end users if possible: different motivational measures are compared to each other in order select the most effective one. MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

Development of use case descriptions for those personas

direct interaction of developers and users (or their representatives)

with an explicit section on interventions targeted to motivational aspects or context conditions

4. Deriving functional and non-functional requirements from those descriptions

5. Formative evaluation of early prototypes

with end users

if possible: different motivational measures are compared to each other in order select the most effective one.

Summary & Outlook Motivational design of informal learning support is an important step for ensuring sustainability and user acceptance of solutions. Contributions: Systematization of motivational aspects based on ethnographically informed studies, further validated with two interviews in big enterprises Methodology for integrating motivational aspects into the requirements engineering process Further research will investigate the effectiveness of concrete design measures in experiments that are targeted at improving certain motivational aspects MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

Motivational design of informal learning support is an important step for ensuring sustainability and user acceptance of solutions.

Contributions:

Systematization of motivational aspects based on ethnographically informed studies, further validated with two interviews in big enterprises

Methodology for integrating motivational aspects into the requirements engineering process

Further research will investigate the effectiveness of concrete design measures in experiments that are targeted at improving certain motivational aspects

Contact MATURE IP http://mature-ip.eu Christine Kunzmann Researcher @ FZI and Kompetenzorientierte Personalentwicklung Ankerstr. 47, 75203 Königsbach-Stein, GERMANY, http://kompetenzen-gestalten.de [email_address] Andreas Schmidt Department Manager / Scientific Coordinator MATURE FZI Research Center for Information Technologies, Haid-und-Neu-Str. 10-14 Karlsruhe, GERMANY (http://fzi.de/ipe) andreas.schmidt@fzi.de, http://andreas.schmidt.name Open for associate partners!

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http://mature-ip.eu

Example persona ” Silke has high personal standards and aims at continuously learning to improve her work practice. To that end, she regularly reflects about how tasks were carried out and what could have been done better or worse. .. . Her sense of perfection also applies to her everyday task management. She plans her tasks and appointment each day meticulously, and prepares each meeting with elaborate notes. … Clear structures within the applications are crucial as she lacks deep knowledge about computers.” MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks

” Silke has high personal standards and aims at continuously learning to improve her work practice. To that end, she regularly reflects about how tasks were carried out and what could have been done better or worse. .. . Her sense of perfection also applies to her everyday task management. She plans her tasks and appointment each day meticulously, and prepares each meeting with elaborate notes. … Clear structures within the applications are crucial as she lacks deep knowledge about computers.”