Copyright © The British Psychological Society Reproduction in any form (including the internet) is prohibited without prior permission from the Society ‘Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing’. Motivation and study processes on a work-based project course in information systems design Laura Helle 1 *, Pa ¨ivi Tynja ¨la ¨ 2 , Erkki Olkinuora 1 and Kirsti Lonka 3 1 University of Turku, Finland 2 University of Jyva ¨skyla ¨, Finland 3 University of Helsinki, Finland Background. Advocates of the project method claim that project-based learning inspires student learning. However, it has been claimed that project-based learning environments demand quite a bit of self-regulation on the part of the learner. Aims. Consequently, it was tested whether students scoring low in self-regulation of learning experienced ‘friction’, an incompatibility between student self-regulation and the demands posed by the learning environment. This would be manifest in cognitive processing and motivation. Samples. The target group consisted of 58 mainly third-year Finnish university students taking a mandatory project course in information systems design. During the project course, student teams completed a commissioned assignment. The study also included a matched nonequivalent comparison group composed of computer science students attending study programmes without a project-based component. Methods. Data were gathered by means of a questionnaire administered at the beginning and end of the project course and it was analysed by between-groups repeated measures ANOVA. In addition, the students on the course were interviewed. Results. Results suggest that the work-based project model in question may indeed have a substantial motivational impact, interestingly benefitting especially those students who scored low in self-regulation. Conclusions. It is argued that we tend to view learning environments too simplistically. In particular, a basic distinction should be made between individual and collaborative learning contexts, since peer scaffolding, group grading and choice of group roles may explain why students scoring low in self-regulation of learning did not encounter friction as expected. By definition, the essence of project-based learning is that a question or problem serves to organize and drive activities and these activities culminate in a final * Correspondence should be addressed to Laura Helle, Department of Education, 20014 Turun Yliopisto, Finland (e-mail: laura.helle@utu.fi). The British Psychological Society 397 British Journal of Educational Psychology (2007), 77, 397–411 q 2007 The British Psychological Society www.bpsjournals.co.uk DOI:10.1348/000709906X105986