Motivation in Digital Learning Environments: First Steps in Developing a Research Program

How can we measure students’ motivation without relying solely on self-reports? In this talk, we present the first results of a systematic review that investigates emerging, more objective approaches to assessing learning and achievement motivation—especially in digital learning environments. These approaches often draw on behavioral data, such as patterns of interaction with digital tools, response times, or eye movements, which can serve as multimodal indicators of learners’ motivational states. Our review examines not only which indicators are used across studies but also how they are computed, interpreted, and validated. Building on recent work in educational psychology and learning analytics, we aim to clarify the possibilities and limitations of these methods. By comparing different methodological approaches and their theoretical underpinnings, we hope to stimulate discussion on how such tools can complement traditional self-report measures, strengthen motivation research, and ultimately inform the evelopment of responsive educational technologies. Based on the results of the systematic review, steps are derived for a research program on developing and validating multimodal assessment of learning and achievement motivation in digital learning environments.