From Moodle to Facebook: Exploring students' motivation and experiences in online communities

• We explore factors affecting students' engagement with Moodle and Facebook.
• Students were not interested in using Moodle, yet active on Facebook.
• We use Activity Theory as a lens for data interpretation.
• Factors are categorized as technological, individual, and community levels.

The present paper documents a qualitative study that examines the motivating and inhibiting factors that influenced students' engagement in online discussions via Moodle and Facebook. The data was collected through individual interviews with 14 pre-service teachers. Using the Activity Theory as a lens, the study reveals a set of factors concerning the technical tools, subjective perceptions, goals of online discussion, social presence within a community, rules for participation, and roles of the participants that affect their online engagement patterns. The findings of the study inform educators and software designers of how online discussions can be better promoted among students, and how a web-based environment more conducive to learning can be created.