EDU800 – Week 9 – Annotated Bibliographies

#1

Brophy, J. (2008). Connecting with the big picture. Educational Psychologist, 44(2), 147–157.
 Summary: Brophy explores how educators can enhance student motivation by helping learners connect individual lessons to broader conceptual frameworks. He argues that students often fail to sustain engagement when classroom activities lack meaningful connection to overarching disciplinary “big ideas.” The article synthesizes research on motivation, contextualized learning, and instructional design, emphasizing curriculum coherence and authentic learning tasks.
 Evaluation: This article is conceptually rich and integrates cognitive and motivational perspectives, making it a valuable theoretical bridge between curriculum design and motivation theory. Although it provides limited empirical data, its synthesis of motivation theory and curriculum structure provides actionable guidance for educators seeking to foster deep learning. The work’s primary strength lies in clarifying how motivation is intertwined with relevance and meaning-making rather than with external incentives.
 Reflection: Brophy’s argument resonates strongly with my doctoral research on instructional technology integration. His focus on connecting students to the “big picture” parallels my teaching approach in courses like BIS310 and SEC440, where I use applied case studies and live technology demonstrations to make abstract cybersecurity concepts tangible. This reading reinforces the importance of designing technology-enhanced lessons that explicitly connect course activities to real-world contexts.

#2

Deci, E. L., Vallerand, R. J., Pelletier, L. G., & Ryan, R. M. (1991). Motivation and education: The self-determination perspective. Educational Psychologist, 26(3–4), 325–346.
 Summary: Deci and colleagues articulate the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) framework, distinguishing intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and emphasizing the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The article reviews studies demonstrating that autonomy-supportive teaching practices enhance intrinsic motivation, self-regulation, and academic persistence, while controlling environments undermine these outcomes.
 Evaluation: This seminal work remains foundational in motivation research and continues to inform online and blended learning design. Its theoretical clarity and robust empirical grounding make it a cornerstone for understanding learner engagement. While early in the digital-learning era, its principles translate directly to modern contexts, particularly regarding student agency and feedback design.
 Reflection: Deci et al.’s insights are central to my DET research trajectory. Their emphasis on autonomy and competence directly informs my efforts to create online courses that empower students through choice, self-paced exploration, and transparent feedback systems. The SDT framework also aligns with my professional work in project management, where autonomy and intrinsic motivation drive team performance and innovation.

#3

Huett, J. K., Kalinowski, K. E., Moller, L., & Huett, K. C. (2008). Improving the motivation and retention of online students through the use of ARCS-based e-mails. The American Journal of Distance Education, 22(3), 159–176.
 Summary: Huett et al. investigate the impact of Keller’s ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) model applied via motivational e-mail messages to online learners. The quasi-experimental study found that targeted ARCS-based messages significantly improved students’ sense of connection, course satisfaction, and persistence rates compared to a control group.
 Evaluation: The study provides rare empirical support for applying ARCS strategies in asynchronous learning environments. Its strengths include clear operationalization of motivational constructs and direct application to distance education. Limitations include a relatively small sample and potential novelty effects, but the findings are practical and well-aligned with current motivational design principles.
 Reflection: This research is particularly relevant to my teaching practice and CMU doctoral focus. It offers actionable strategies for sustaining engagement in online settings similar to my Canvas and Engageli courses at DeVry. Implementing short, ARCS-based motivational messages could further enhance student persistence and mirror the individualized feedback approach I already employ in weekly discussion reviews.

#4

Sansone, C., Smith, J. L., Thoman, D. B., & MacNamara, A. (2012). Regulating interest when learning online: Potential motivation and performance trade-offs. The Internet and Higher Education, 15, 141–149.
 Summary: Sansone and colleagues examine how learners self-regulate interest in online environments and how this process affects motivation and performance. Through experimental studies, they show that strategies to maintain interest—such as introducing variety or personal relevance—can sometimes trade off with task efficiency or accuracy.
 Evaluation: The article provides nuanced insight into the complexity of motivation management in digital learning. Its key contribution is the recognition that interest regulation involves balancing engagement and cognitive load. While limited by short-term laboratory conditions, its implications for course design are substantial: instructors must design activities that sustain interest without over-stimulating or fragmenting attention.
 Reflection: This work underscores the delicate balance I strive for when designing interactive elements in online lessons. In both my teaching and DET research, I must ensure that engaging media, simulations, or gamified components enhance rather than distract from learning outcomes. Sansone et al.’s findings reinforce my commitment to designing purposeful, cognitively aligned engagement tools.