Motivation & Learning

1. Motivation & Learning Christopher Price, Ph.D. Director, Center for Excellence in Learning & Teaching, The College at Brockport cprice@brockport.edu

2. Motivation & Learning • Case Example • Extrinsic versus Intrinsic Motivation • Increasing Student Motivation

3. Case Example • After years of avoiding it, Professor Skinner was scheduled to teach the introductory course in philosophy for non-majors. The students in this class typically are not interested in philosophy and only take the course because it is a graduation requirement. The difficulty of the material also leads to a high drop, withdraw, and failure rate. Students frequently complain about the course to the administration. The college is considering eliminating this requirement which would likely lead to a reduction in the number of faculty in the Philosophy department.

4. Case Example Questions • What are the motivation challenges in the case example?

5. Case Example Questions • If you were Professor Skinner, which strategy would you adopt to increase student motivation: • Rethink the grading policy so that more students are likely to achieve the grade they desire. • Assess what students know about the course content at the beginning of the semester and adjust the content so that it is neither too easy or too difficult. • Suggest that the course be combined with the section for majors in order to improve student interest and the grade distribution. • Redesign the course to incorporate student interests and ideas into the course content and assignments.

6. Case Example Questions • What motivation challenges do you have as a teacher that are not addressed by the case example?

7. Motivation & Learning • Case Example ✓ • Extrinsic versus Intrinsic Motivation • Increasing Student Motivation

8. What is Motivation? • The degree to which someone is invested in the process or outcome of an activity • Motivation is primarily influenced by individual goals • Individual goals have both internal (natural) and social (nurture) sources • Nature and nurture combine to affect how individuals perceive their goals

9. What affects the perception of learning goals? • Values (what matters) • Expectancies (what we think will happen)

10. What type of values affect learning goals? Sources of Intrinsic (Internal) Motivation: • Attainment Value • Task/job/activity well done • Inherent Value • The task/job/activity on its own

11. What type of values affect learning goals? Source of Extrinsic (External) Motivation: • Instrumental Value • Rewards for achieving goals/punishments for failing to achieve goals

12. The Trouble with Extrinsic Motivation • Daniel Pink, The Surprising Science of Motivation, TED Talk, July 2009 • http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html

13. The Trouble with Extrinsic Motivation • According to Pink in Drive, rewards (and punishments) • Extinguish intrinsic motivation • Diminish performance • Crush creativity • Crowd out good behavior • Encourage cheating, shortcuts, and unethical behavior • Can become addictive • Can foster short term thinking

14. The Value of Intrinsic Motivation (Also from Drive) • Autonomy • Control over task, time, technique, team improves performance • Mastery • Pursuit of mastery most likely to lead to engagement • Purpose • Purpose goals lead to higher levels of individual satisfaction and sense of well-being

15. Motivation & Learning • Case Example ✓ • Extrinsic versus Intrinsic Motivation ✓ • Increasing Student Motivation

16. What can instructors do to increase students’ motivation to learn? • Help students value learning • Connect material to their interests • Provide authentic tasks • Communicate relevance of and connections between subjects • Give students more control over their learning

17. What can instructors do to increase students’ motivation to learn? • Use rewards (and punishments) very carefully and as little as possible

18. When to Use Rewards (from Drive)

19. What can instructors do to increase students’ motivation to learn? • Help students build positive expectancies

20. How do expectancies affect learning goals? • Expectancies = what we think will happen • Outcome • Specific action will bring about expected/desirable outcome • Efficacy • Belief that one is capable of action that will bring about the expected outcome • More likely when achievements are attributed to internal and controllable causes

21. What can instructors do to increase students’ motivation to learn? • Help students build positive expectancies • Identify appropriate level of challenge • Create assignments that are not too easy or too difficult • Clearly articulate expectations (use rubrics) • Be fair in evaluating student work and offer targeted feedback • Encourage meaningful self-assessment and practical strategies for improvement

22. Motivation & Learning • Case Example ✓ • Extrinsic versus Intrinsic Motivation ✓ • Increasing Student Motivation ✓

23. Questions/Comments?

24. References Ambrose, S.A., et. al. (2010) How learning works: 7 research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Pink, D. (2009) Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us. New York: Riverhead Books. Svinicki, M. (2004) Learning and motivation in the postsecondary classroom. Bolton, MA: Anker.