College Entrance in Distance Mode. The Role of Motivational and Cognitive Aspects in Academic Achievements

Abstract

The article examines the relationship between motivation, cognition and academic performance in technology-mediated education. Although the relationship between these variables have been analyzed in the context of face to face learning modality, a new consideration of these relationships, under different learning contexts, is considered relevant. The study was carried out at the Faculty of Economic Sciences (at a university college in Argentina) with a group of 83 freshmen in distance mode. Of these, 25 were able to regularize a key subject in the first year, while the remaining 58 did not. For data collection a standardized questionnaire was used with the aim of assessing motivational and cognitive profiles of students. The results showed better scores in the highest performing group, with statistically ignificant differences in the scales regarding to intrinsic orientation,assessment tasks, critical thinking, self-regulation, time and study environment management, effort regulation and learning with peers. In the discussion of results, the situated perspective of motivation and cognition is resumed, emphasizing the importance of contextual intervention in order to promote motivation and the use of strategies in distance learners