ARCS

Draft

Definition

ARCS is an instructional design model developped by John Keller and that focuses on motivation.

ARCS stands for: Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction

The ARCS Model of Motivational Design

Attention

As in Gagne's model (nine events of instruction) one must gain the learner's attention and keep it.

Relevance

The learner has to believe that learning is relevant

Confidence

Learners should feel that they could achieve the learning goals

Satisfaction

Learers should receive awards

Subcomponents

According to Huang (2006),

the ARCS model is mostly applied as a design guideline for developing effective motivational strategies (Song & Keller, 2001). In addition to the four ARCS components (ie, attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction), there are subcategories attached to each component to facilitate the design process. Small (2000) summarised all four components and subcategories as follows:

• Attention: perceptual arousal, inquiry arousal and variability;
• Relevance: goal orientation and motive matching;
• Confidence: learning requirements, success opportunities and personal responsibility; and
• Satisfaction: intrinsic reinforcement, extrinsic rewards and equity.

See also: Flow theory

Methods

The Instructional Material Motivational Survey (IMMS) (Keller, 1933) contains is a 36 Likert-scale statements. Each statement measures an individual ARCS component.

Huang et al. (2006), published a modified version, which they claim to be more appropriate for studies in higher education. Here is sample of 4 items:

• When I first looked at (M-Tutor), I had the impression that it would be easy for me. (confidence)

• There was something interesting at the beginning of (M-Tutor) that got my attention. (attention)

• Completing the exercises in (M-Tutor) gave me a satisfying feeling of accomplishment. (satisfaction)

• It is clear to me how the content of (M-Tutor) is related to things I already know. (relevance)

Links

• Attribution Theory and Keller's ARCS Model of Motivation by Jerry T. Fernandez, George Mason University.

• Motivating Distance Learning Students Using the ARCS Method, a Netnet page

• Developing Instruction or Instructional Design

• ARCS Model of Motivational Design (Keller) at Learning-Theories.com.

• The Magic of Learner Motivation: The ARCS Model by Kevin Kruse, e-learningguru.com.

References

• Chang, M. & Lehman, J. D. (2002). Learning foreign language through an interactive multimedia program: an experimental study on the effects of the relevance component of the ARCS model. CALICO Journal, 20, 81-98.

• ChanMin Kim and John M. Keller. Effects of motivational and volitional email messages (MVEM) with personal messages on undergraduate students' motivation, study habits and achievement. British Journal of Educational Technology DOI 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00701.x

• Driscoll, M. P. (2000). Introduction to theories of learning and instruction (2nd ed.). In M.P. Driscoll (Ed.), Psychology of learning for instruction (pp. 3-28). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

• Fritz, Constance (1997), Motivation To Learn, University of Saskatchewan, Term paper, HTML, retrieved 22:43, 14 August 2007 (MEST).

• Huang, Wenhao; Huang, Wenyeh; Diefes-Dux, Heidi; Imbrie, Peter K. (2006). A Preliminary Validation of Attention, Relevance, Confidence and Satisfaction Model-Based Instructional Material Motivational Survey in a Computer-Based Tutorial Setting, British Journal of Educational Technology, v37 n2 p243-259 Mar 2006.

• Keller, J. M. (1983). Motivational design of instruction. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models: an overview of their current status (pp. 386-434). Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• Keller, J. and T. Kopp, An Application of the ARCS Model of Motivational Design, in C. Reigeluth (ed.), Instructional Design Theories and Models, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey, pp. 289-320, 1987.

• Keller, J. M. (1987a). Strategies for stimulating the motivation to learn. Performance and Instruction, 26, 1-7.

• Keller, J. M. (1987b). The systematic process of motivational design. Performance and Instruction, 26, 9/10, 1-8.

• Keller, J. M. (1993). Motivation by design. Unpublished manuscript, Florida State University, Florida.

• Song, S. H. (2000). Research issues of motivation in web-based instruction. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 1, 225-229.

• Song, S. H. & Keller, J. M. (2001). Effectiveness of motivationally adaptive computer-assisted instruction on the dynamic aspects of motivation. Educational Technology Research and Development, 49, 5. [ISI