Pixel International Conferences

With the excessive number of students in higher education, educators across the world are increasingly getting frustrated by the ever growing number of students who are psychologically, socially, and academically unprepared for the demands of university life. Such students often exhibit maladaptive behavior such as distraction, frustration, boredom and a lack of interest in learning. However, since students’ motivation has long been regarded as a key factor for meaningful engagement and positive academic performance, innovative ways that can motivate students on a consistent basis should be sought. Therefore, our objective in this paper is to explore the potentials of Web 2.0 technologies in enhancing students’ motivation. In this respect, the findings of the present study have revealed that as opposed to a formal educational setting which is limited in both time and space, Web 2.0 platforms create more opportunities for increasing students’ motivation. In fact, these online communities can be used to maintain a positive relationship between teachers and students beyond classroom walls. Via these virtual communities, students can also have access to a wide choice of learning materials that can peak their interest and help them complete different tasks at different rates. Moreover, the communicative and collaborative features of these technologies allow students to interact with each other, learn from one another and jointly work together towards common objectives. Taking these opportunities into consideration, we strongly believe that despite being recognized as a source of distraction, Web 2.0 technologies can serve as a valuable source of encouragement, support and motivation for students.

Keywords: Web 2.0, education, students, motivation.

References:

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