Persuasive technology and user experience design guidelines to motivate users for autonomous learning on a digital learning platform in the context of a corporate environment in South Africa

Abstract

Organisations are increasingly relying on digital platforms for autonomous learning for skills development. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many employees to work from home, and as a result, the use of autonomous learning increased to the point where it became the preferred learning mode. Persuasive technologies (PT) can improve employees’ motivation for completing autonomous learning tasks on digital learning platforms in corporate organisations. Despite the potential for supporting autonomous learning, the application of PT in the South African corporate organisation context remains limited. The research problem identified was the lack of users’ motivation to learn autonomously on digital learning platforms. The study was novel in drawing on the theoretical lenses of both PT and user experience (UX) to investigate the motivation for autonomous learning in a corporate utility in South Africa. For corporate organisations to improve employees’ motivation in autonomous learning, the digital learning platform may use persuasive strategies such as competition, self-monitoring, and cooperation; or UX attributes such as effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in contributing to motivate employees’ learning needs. The methodology applied in the study was guided by design science research (DSR). Fourteen subject matter experts in focus groups validated the persuasive strategies and UX attributes extracted from literature. The validated constructs used as the basis for the design guidelines informed the design and development of a prototype aimed at testing the motivation of employees in autonomous learning in the digital learning platform. The prototype was presented to 76 users, their interactions with the prototype were captured, and their perceived user experience was evaluated in a survey. The triangulation of the findings from the user interaction captured via mouse movement and the survey confirmed that the design guidelines based on the nine constructs (PT and UX) were appropriate for designing a PT prototype system to motivate employees in autonomous learning in the digital learning platform. The study was limited to one organisation and one module within the digital learning environment. The focus was on motivation only and excludes other pedagogical aspects of the teaching and learning process. The study makes a theoretical contribution in terms of the literature-based, empirically refined design guidelines and a questionnaire for evaluation of the prototype by users; and a practical contribution by the development of a prototype as a PT system to test the motivation of the employee in autonomous learning in the digital learning platform.