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Investigating McMaster Students' Motivation to Learn in Virtual Environments

The main focus of this project is to understand how virtual learning has impacted McMaster students' motivation to learn. The virtual learning environment has given students the flexibility to determine how and when they learn. However, the lack of time in the classroom surrounded by peers and the responsibility of managing one's schedule can lead to a lack of motivation to learn. Physical spaces designated for learning, such as classrooms and libraries, encourage students to learn, whereas there are many distractions at home that might interfere with students’ engagement in course content. The following survey will ask questions about students' perceptions of virtual learning environments and how the transition to online learning has impacted their level of motivation. Furthermore, to analyze the degree of motivation students are experiencing, questions will be regarding study habits, satisfaction with learning, and the absence of academic space. This survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Thank you for your participation.

There are 17 questions in this survey.
This survey is anonymous.

The record of your survey responses does not contain any identifying information about you, unless a specific survey question explicitly asked for it.

If you used an identifying access code to access this survey, please rest assured that this code will not be stored together with your responses. It is managed in a separate database and will only be updated to indicate whether you did (or did not) complete this survey. There is no way of matching identification access codes with survey responses.

Introductory Questions
(This question is mandatory)

What undergraduate program are you currently enrolled in? Indicate the name of your program in the space provided below.

This is a question help text.
(This question is mandatory)

What year of your undergraduate degree are you in? Choose one of the following answers.

The following question aims to understand how much of your undergraduate degree was in-person versus online (e.g., 5 semesters mostly online, 2 semesters fully online, 7 semesters mostly in-person, 4 semesters fully in-person, etc.). Numerically state how many semesters your undergraduate classes were...

(This question is mandatory)

How close do you live to McMaster University’s main campus (1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario)? Choose one of the following answers.

Study Habits Questions
(This question is mandatory)

How many hours in a week do you spend studying (outside of scheduled class time)? Select the category that is most applicable.

(This question is mandatory)

Rank the following statements based on how much they relate to the type of learner you are, 1 being the type of learner you most identify with and 4 being the type of learner you least identify with.

(This question is mandatory)

Rate the following statements from a scale of strongly disagree, to strongly agree.

I am enrolled in classes because they are necessary for my career.
I like to interact with classmates and professors and make the most out of the content provided in the course.
I genuinely enjoy studying, I believe that studying is satisfying.
I prefer material that challenges me so I can learn new things.
I choose classes based on what I will learn, not based on their difficulty levels and how likely I am to get a good grade
Getting good grades in class is the most important thing to me.
(This question is mandatory)

Rate the following locations listed below on how easily you would get distracted trying to study in them.

Library
Home
Classroom
Campus study spaces
Public spaces (i.e., cafes, etc.)
(This question is mandatory)

Rate on the following scale below how important it is to you to learn in a place associated with academia (i.e., classroom, library, your favourite study space on campus, etc). Choose one of the following answers.

(This question is mandatory)

How has your distance from McMaster University impacted your motivation to learn? Write your response in the blank text box below.

What are the biggest barriers that you have had to overcome to stay engaged in online class? Write your response in the blank text box below.

(This question is mandatory)

Which of the following motivational strategies have you used to stay motivated in online classes? Select all that apply.

(This question is mandatory)

How do your study habits and the amount of time you spend studying change when studying for an in-person exam (or proctored exam) versus a virtual exam (open book)? Write your response in the blank text box below.

(This question is mandatory)

Has your GPA increased or decreased since the transition from in-person to online learning? Choose one of the following answers.

(This question is mandatory)

Do you find it more or less difficult to retain information in virtual classrooms? Write your response in the blank text box below.

(This question is mandatory)

Do you prefer in person, or online classes? Please elaborate on your response in the blank text box below.

Do you have any additional comments that you would like to share regarding your motivation in online classes that were not addressed in the survey questions? Write your response in the blank text box below.