Task-value motivational prompts in a descriptive dashboard can increase anxiety among anxious learners

Despite the ubiquitous use of learning analytics dashboards in computer-mediated learning environments, there is still a knowledge gap on how these tools can support learners’ academic performance and motivation. This article describes an experimental study that investigated the influence of motivational prompts (task-value scaffolding) in a descriptive learning analytics dashboard on learners’ motivation, statistics anxiety, and learning performance in an authentic semester-long online statistics course. The study was based on a two-group experimental design during two semesters (Fall 2020 and Spring 2021). A total of 122 graduate students completed the study. The results showed that despite learners’ mostly positive perceptions of the dashboard, the use of motivational prompts did not influence learners’ cognitive outcomes. Test anxiety was the only affective outcome influenced by the intervention, with motivational prompts having a negative effect on learners who started the course with a higher level of test anxiety. This study provides needed empirical evidence on how the design of these tools can influence learners’ affective outcomes, with implications for theory and practice. However, additional experimental studies that account for sources of heterogeneity (e.g., intrapersonal characteristics, contextual factors) are necessary to uncover theoretical gaps and opportunities in the design of effective learning analytics dashboards.