1. ON THE EDGES OF FLOW: STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN PROBLEM SOLVING
- Peter Liljedahl

2. Liljedahl, P. (under review)
Liljedahl, P. (under review). On the edges of flow: Student problem solving behavior. In S. Carreira, N. Amado, & K. Jones (eds.), Broadening the scope of research on mathematical problem solving: A focus on technology, creativity and affect. New York, NY: Springer.

3. MIHALY CSÍKSZENTMIHÁLYI
THE OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE
MIHALY CSÍKSZENTMIHÁLYI

4. OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE There are clear goals every step of the way.
There is immediate feedback on one’s actions.
There is a balance between challenges and skills.
Attention is focused on one’s actions.
Distractions are excluded from consciousness.
There is no worry of failure.
Self-consciousness disappears.
The sense of time becomes distorted.
The activity becomes satisfying in its own right.
- Csíkszentmihályi (1990)
OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE

5. OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE - internal
There are clear goals every step of the way.
There is immediate feedback on one’s actions.
There is a balance between challenges and skills.
Attention is focused on one’s actions.
Distractions are excluded from consciousness.
There is no worry of failure.
Self-consciousness disappears.
The sense of time becomes distorted.
The activity becomes satisfying in its own right.
- Csíkszentmihályi (1990)
OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE - internal

6. OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE - external
There are clear goals every step of the way.
There is immediate feedback on one’s actions.
There is a balance between challenges and skills.
Attention is focused on one’s actions.
Distractions are excluded from consciousness.
There is no worry of failure.
Self-consciousness disappears.
The sense of time becomes distorted.
The activity becomes satisfying in its own right.
- Csíkszentmihályi (1990)
OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE - external

7. OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE FLOW There are clear goals every step of the way.
There is immediate feedback on one’s actions.
There is a balance between challenges and skills.
FRUSTRATION
FLOW
BOREDOM
OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE

8. FLOW EXPERIENCE FLOW There are clear goals every step of the way.
There is immediate feedback on one’s actions.
There is a balance between challenges and skills.
FRUSTRATION
FLOW
BOREDOM
FLOW EXPERIENCE

9. FLOW EXPERIENCE FLOW = ENGAGEMENT
There are clear goals every step of the way.
There is immediate feedback on one’s actions.
There is a balance between challenges and skills.
FRUSTRATION
FLOW
= ENGAGEMENT
BOREDOM
FLOW EXPERIENCE

10. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
BOREDOM
FLOW EXPERIENCE

11. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
BOREDOM
FLOW EXPERIENCE

12. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
BOREDOM
FLOW EXPERIENCE

13. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
BOREDOM
MOMENTS OF IMBALANCE

14. METHODOLOGY – TEACHING STYLE
Liljedahl, P. (2016). Building thinking classrooms: Conditions for problem solving. In P. Felmer, J. Kilpatrick, & E. Pekhonen (eds.), Posing and Solving Mathematical Problems: Advances and New Perspectives. (pp ). New York, NY: Springer.
Liljedahl, P. (2014). The affordances of using visibly random groups in a mathematics classroom. In Y. Li, E. Silver, & S. Li (eds.), Transforming Mathematics Instruction: Multiple Approaches and Practices. (pp ). New York, NY: Springer.
METHODOLOGY – TEACHING STYLE

15. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
BOREDOM
CHALLENGE TOO LOW

16. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
TOLERANCE
BOREDOM
CHALLENGE TOO LOW

17. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
TOLERANCE
BOREDOM
CHALLENGE TOO LOW

18. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
TOLERANCE
BOREDOM
CHALLENGE TOO HIGH

19. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
PERSEVERANCE
TOLERANCE
BOREDOM
CHALLENGE TOO HIGH

20. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
PERSEVERANCE
TOLERANCE
BOREDOM
CHALLENGE TOO HIGH

21. FRUSTRATION
FLOW
PERSEVERANCE
TOLERANCE
BOREDOM
MODIFIED FLOW

22. THANK YOU! liljedahl@sfu.ca www.peterliljedahl.com/presentations
@pgliljedahl