In the 21st century there have been several reports on students’ lack of engagement and academic motivation and that motivation is a prime key to academic success. The aim of the article is to describe and discuss how some selected models for motivation of students/adult learners can be applied in contemporary technology enhanced learning. The main approach in this article is the case study strategy where a case study is defined as an empirical inquiry investigating real world contemporary phenomena (Yin, 1989). The case study consists of three embedded units: the Zagreb unit, the Stockholm unit and the Glasgow unit, and three models for motivation explored in each unit. The conclusions based on comparison of the three models’ findings are the following. Effective learning for adults or children occurs when they are given opportunities to engage in shaping their own learning through practical experience as part of the learning process. Learners should be able to test their knowledge via interacting in an enquiring way with their learning context and solve real world problems.