The effects of reusable motivational objects in designing reusable learning object-based instruction

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of reusable motivational objects (RMO) and a motivational design aid (MDA) on instructional designers' performance and attitude.; Thirty five upper-level college students who were enrolled in a Mathematics education course were recruited and split into three groups based on their schedule availability. Each group was randomly assigned to one of three levels of independent variable: RMO with MDA condition, RMO Only condition, and Control condition. Participants performed a task of designing motivationally enhanced RLO-based instruction with given motivational design supports depending on their treatment level. The participants in the RMOMDA condition used an RMO repository and MDA while those in the RMO condition used only RMO repository. The control condition did not use any motivational design support.; Two dependent variables include performance and attitude. Performance was efficiency score in motivational design obtained by the ratio of time spent on task to a product's score. Participants' products were graded by evaluators using a checklist. The second dependent variable of attitude was measured with the modified instructional material motivation survey administered online. In addition, two surveys that related to the RMO and MDA were conducted to measure participants' reactions to them.; According to the results, the RMO significantly affected motivational design performance while MDA did not. With regard to attitude, both RMO and MDA did not show significant effects. It is presumed that participants' insufficient knowledge of instructional design, unfamiliarity to materials, and short performance time contributed to the lack of significant results. However, participants' reactions to the RMO and MDA were marginally positive in the post hoc surveys. These findings and results were discussed in relation to existing literature and supporting ideas.; The major contribution of this study is that it verified the feasibility of RMO as an efficient solution for learner motivation in RLO-based instruction. Moreover, it suggested the conditions under which the MDA can be fully utilized. Based on the limitations and recommendations for further studies, a variety of research studies would be possible and those studies will improve the RMO to be practically applied.