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Raising the Stakes for Online Learning: Monetary Incentives Increase Performance in a Computer-Based Learning Task
Jessica F Schwab1, Leah H Somerville1
1Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.
Frontiers in Psychology
|May 23, 2022
Summary
Monetary incentives can boost student performance in online learning, but only when the stakes are clear. Experiment 2 showed improved scores with clear incentives, unlike Experiment 1 where results were mixed.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Educational Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Cognitive science indicates monetary incentives enhance goal-directed effort in lab settings.
- Real-world application of monetary incentives for academic performance yields inconsistent results.
- Online learning environments present unique contexts for studying incentive effects on student engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of monetary incentives on student effort and learning in online educational contexts.
- To compare the effectiveness of monetary incentives versus no external incentives on immediate and delayed learning assessments.
- To determine if clear incentive "stakes" are necessary for monetary rewards to impact online learning performance.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted using computer-based educational modules and quizzes.
- Experiment 1 employed a between-subjects design comparing incentive vs. no-incentive groups.
- Experiment 2 utilized a within-subjects design to assess performance with and without incentives for the same participants.
Main Results:
- Experiment 1 found no significant difference in learning scores between groups.
- Experiment 2 demonstrated significantly higher performance on incentivized quiz questions.
- Improved performance in Experiment 2 was observed for both immediate and delayed learning tests.
Conclusions:
- Monetary incentives can enhance online learning performance when participants perceive clear stakes.
- The effectiveness of incentives may depend on the ability to anchor the value of the reward.
- Further research is needed to identify optimal extrinsic incentives and their impact on intrinsic motivation.
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