The effects of utility value and choice on interest and learning in online classes

As part of the Regulating Motivation and Performance Online Project (RMAPO) students completing an online HTML programming lesson demonstrated higher quiz scores and greater post lesson interest when initially provided information about how the skills could be used (personal or organizational applications). These effects were mediated by higher levels of engagement with optional examples and exercises during the lesson. The present paper examined the effects of adding utility value to optional example and exercises rather than to the initial lesson description. Additionally, some participants were allowed to choose which type of utility value they would like the examples and exercises to illustrate. Results replicated previously found results suggesting that higher levels of engagement with the examples and exercises lead to greater interest and learning at the end of the lesson. Unlike previous findings, the addition of utility value to the examples and exercises did lead to higher levels of engagement, interest, or learning. There were also no main effects of choice predicting engagement, interest, or learning. Results suggest a moderating effect of choice on higher level engagement behaviors predicting interest and quiz score, a moderating effect of choice on utility value type on interest, as well as a moderating effect of utility value type on lower level engagement behaviors predicting interest.