What fuels your fire? (Learning communities)

Moller et al (2005) examine a group of graduate students to determine if learning communities have an impact on motivation.  Their rationale was that learning groups add to the motivation of learning by individuals based on previous studies.  I agree with this hypothesis and would set out to examine this phenomena on a high school or middle school level.  It was a small study group of 51 participants and the results yeilded a definate yes motivation is positively affected.  Moller et al (2005), "membership in a learning community can promotecommunication, social interaction, and deeper understanding. This, in turn, increases motivation,which strengthens the community."(p. 141).  As an awardee of an online degree and the pursuant of another, I would say that the online community does spark the individual competetive nature.  Within the competition there is motivation to be better than the best.  The challenge is the fuel the motivation is the fire.

REFERENCE
Moller, L., Huett, J., Holder, D., Young, J., Harvey, D., & Godshalk, V. (2005).  Examining the impact of learning communities on motivation. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 6(2), 137−143