Predicting and motivating achievement in self-paced learning: A formative design, study and evaluation

Student motivation and retention is a notorious problem in self-paced and mastery environments. This thesis uses a formative study conducted during a self-paced mastery course at the University of Maryland to understand how background variables affect achievement and to explore whether student success can be positively influenced by: a) receiving a course credit suggestion; b) setting goals and sticking to self-made deadlines; c) viewing aggregated and individual progress feedback; and d) receiving game-inspired incentives and rewards. After evaluating the effectiveness of the integrated design, the thesis suggests design changes to improve motivation.