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Design of a Motivational Scaffold for the Malaysian e-Learning Environment

With a structure that provides control and choice over time, place, and pace, e-learning has emerged as a viable mode for working adults who wish to upgrade their knowledge. However, such flexibility provides leeway for these adults to procrastinate and for their motivation to dwindle. After all, many adults, especially Malaysian adults, are used to studying in a structured learning environment. It is thus necessary to scaffold these learners’ needs, particularly during the early stages of their learning endeavour.The purpose of this paper is to highlight the problem of sustaining the e-learners’ motivation in a Malaysian higher education setting. It also illustrates an approach taken to scaffold the learners’ regulation of motivation. Four-phase design and development research carried out to design, develop, and evaluate a web-based task support tool called the learning console is described. The paper also draws attention to the design principles upon which the affective component is built into the tool. Findings from the formative evaluation of the tool conducted among 40 participants consisting of experts, instructors, and e-learners suggested the capability of the tool to regulate the motivation of the learners. In addition, characteristics of both personalized and group learning were also apparent. The Learning console was found to scaffold the e-learners’ motivation and could be integrated into the existing learning management system.