Cultivating motivation in informal learning via YouTube: Effects of reinforcement learning-based and social learning-based approaches

Abstract

This study sought to address the research question of whether reinforcement learning-based YouTube and social learning-based YouTube significantly enhance the motivation of Chinese higher education learners in informal learning contexts, while also exploring how these approaches influence motivation from the learners’ own perspectives. A mixed-methods design was employed where the data were collected through a pre- and post-test motivation survey and semi-structured interviews. The participants across all groups accessed 11 selected YouTube videos; EG1 received reinforcement feedback, EG2 was guided to emulate modeled behaviors from the videos, and the CG received no additional intervention. Quantitative data were analyzed using ANOVA, while qualitative responses underwent a content analysis. The quantitative findings revealed that both EG1 (i.e., reinforcement learning-based) and EG2 (i.e., social learning-based) demonstrated statistically significant gains in motivation compared to the CG on the post-test. Qualitatively, the learners in the EG1 reported heightened motivation linked to increased confidence stemming from reinforcement feedback, whereas the EG2 participants highlighted cooperative learning, greater engagement, and enhanced autonomy as key outcomes of social learning strategies. The study’s results evidenced that both reinforcement- and social learning-based approaches, when integrated with YouTube, effectively bolster the higher education learners’ motivation in informal contexts. The implications of these findings are substantial: educators and course designers can leverage specific YouTube-based strategies, such as structured feedback or modeling to optimize higher education learners’ motivation, confidence, engagement, and autonomy.