Exploring the Influence of Affiliation Motivation in the Effectiveness of Web-Based Courses

Abstract

Students are considered the central element of any learning process. This article examines one specific characteristic of students in Web-based courses: their affiliation motivation. The objective is to explore the influence of affiliation motivation on students in the effectiveness of Web-based courses. The authors conducted a case study of a Brazilian Web-based course. Six different data collection strategies were used: open and semi-structured interviews, direct observations, record and document analyses, and a structured survey. The results show the significant influence of three main constructs related to affiliation motivation (attention, positive stimulation, and emotional support) in four dimensions related to students: (1) their satisfaction, (2) their perceptions of course results and quality, (3) their perceptions of the effectiveness of Web-based courses compared with that of on-site courses, and (4) their perceptions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of Web-based courses.