Motivating Students (to learn) Dr Kate Exley Queen’s University Belfast

What is Motivation? “Motivation is a means to achieve a goal, not an end in its own right” “I can motivate anyone who wants to be motivated” “Nothing is more motivating than success”

Outline Programme The Teaching and Learning Context What is learning and how do students do it? What Motivates learners to learn? Encouraging greater Independent learning Case studies The impact of assessment

The Context Increase in student numbers Research demands Greater variation in student background Greater emphasis on development of ‘life skills’ Clarification of professional and academic skills ? (What other factors are having an impact?)

What do your students understand by ‘Learning’? A quantitative increase in knowledge Storing information that can be reproduced Acquiring facts, skills and methods for use Making sense or abstracting meaning - relating things to each other and the real world Interpreting and understanding reality in different ways (comprehending & re-interpreting knowledge)

Useful Models about Learning Deep and Surface Hierarchy of cognition Learning cycles and experiential learning Learning Styles and Approaches Constructivism

Approach to learning Marton and Saljo (1976) Deep Surface Strategic

Approach to learning Marton and Saljo (1976) Deep Motivated by the challenge of mastering a complex and difficult subject. Surface Strategic

Approach to learning Marton and Saljo (1976) Deep Motivated by the challenge of mastering a complex and difficult subject. Surface Motivated by the fear of failure Strategic

Approach to learning Marton and Saljo (1976) Deep Motivated by the challenge of mastering a complex and difficult subject. Surface Motivated by the fear of failure Strategic Motivated by rewards and recognition

Do Plan Review In Context The Process of Learning Kolb’s learning cycle

Preferences in Learning e.g. Honey and Mumford Activist Reflector Theorist Pragmatist

Internal mechanisms of learning Constructivism, Dewey ( ) Learner must actively build their own knowledge and understanding. The learner’s processing of stimuli and the resulting cognitive structures produces learning

Two branches Cognitive Constructivists ….the learner selects and transforms information - builds cognitive structures” e.g Bruner (1990) Piaget (1972) Social Constructivists ….Social interaction plays a fundamental role in learning” e.g.Vygotsky (1978)

What do you think motivates learning? Please think about Yourself as a learner Your friends and colleagues Your students

Research tells us – (McCombs,B. 1991) To achieve optimal motivation learners must – See education as relevant to their interests & goals. Believe they have the competencies to achieve goals. Take responsibility to define and accomplish own goals. Understand the higher level thinking and self-regulation skills that lead to goal attainment. Develop processes to encode, process, & recall info. Control emotions that affect learning and motivation. Achieve outcomes that signal success.

What motivates students on your course? ‘Real life’ Links to future goals / careers Assessment (sticks and carrots) Presenting work to others (sticks and carrots) Being able to see progress Ability to choose ? (Please add two more motivators)

Motivation Where is it coming from? Extrinsic ‘Have to’ Intrinsic ‘Want to’

Relationships between Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation ? Edward Deci had two groups of students play with a puzzle called Soma. One group were paid for each puzzle they solved; the other wasn’t. The paid group stopped solving puzzles as soon as the experiment—and the payment—ended. The unpaid group kept solving the puzzles even after the experiment was over. They found the puzzles intrinsically interesting. Source: Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, Harvard University Press, 2004, pages 32-33

Don’t forget you are a‘role-model’ - Enthusiasm is infectious! Display your enthusiasm and motivation Share your passion for the subject Make reference to your own research Make the course personal – why are you interested? Show how you overcome hurdles and solve problems Share examples from your own experience

Motivating interest in your subject Novelty “I haven’t seen anything quite like this.” Utility “This is something you will use all the time.” Applicability “We will be applying this in the lab. later” Anticipation “So what is the next step.” Surprise “I bet this isn’t what you were expecting” Challenge “This is quite difficult but worth the effort.” Feedback “Try this, you’ll find out if you really get it.” DeLong & Winter, 2002 Learning to Teaching and Teaching to Learn Maths.

Task How might you foster motivation in … A large group, lecture styled, teaching session? A small group, seminar styled, teaching session? In the supervision of your project student? An on-line learning forum?

Summary of useful strategies Define course goals and support learners to identify their own personal goals Use students’ background knowledge and interests Show how topics and materials are relevant Provide opportunities for active engagment Give frequent and constructive feedback Support independent learning ….

Towards independence in learning Building skills Building confidence Building peer support How are these ‘built’ through a Programme?

Two case studies Tutor-less Tutorials Law undergraduates, University of Southampton Course Assignment Triads Education Masters students University of Bristol

Case study 1. Tutorless Tutorials Tutorial Tutorless Tutorial Week 1. Week 2.

Case study 2. Course Assignment support For each written assignment on the MEd (TEFL) course the work in a group of three. They meet three times during the development of an assignment : Preliminary dialogue – working with the title; Dialogue 2 – After writing 1st draft (2 weeks later); Dialogue 3 – After receiving marks from the tutor.

The 3 triad meetings - 1.

The 3 triad meetings - 2.

The 3 triad meetings - 3.

Considering Assessment What impact does assessment have on motivation? Please consider, The timing of assessment The assessment methods used The value and credit rating of assessment The feedback given from assessment

Further sources Student Motivations and Attitudes, NAGT A website that provides rich links to a number of research papers that support general guidance ation.html Motivation to Learn : An Overview Huitt, W. (2011). Motivation to learn: An overview. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. vation/motivate.htmlhttp:// vation/motivate.html

Further resources 17 Tips To Motivate Adult Learners adult-learners adult-learners Motivating Students, Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University pages/motivating-students/ pages/motivating-students/