Joseph B. Cuseo, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus, Psychology
Educational Consultant, AVID [email protected] Stimulating
Student Motivation To Learn Slide 2 OVERVIEW & PREVIEW OF
WEBINAR CONTENT 1. Working Definition of Student Motivation 2. Key
Distinctions: Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation 3. Key
Suppositions/Propositions about the Nature of Student Motivation 4.
Key Principles of Student (Human) Motivation Slide 3 Working
Definition Student Motivation: The determination, drive, or will to
learn. (Note: Motivation derives from the Latin roots movere and
"motare"meaning to move, shake or stir.) Slide 4 Key Distinctions *
Extrinsic Motivation: student learning thats driven by external
rewards or incentivesi.e., learning engaged in as a means to
another end or consequencee.g., as means for obtaining a good
grade, employment, or acceptance at another school. * Intrinsic
Motivation: student learning thats driven by internal/inherent
interest in the learning task or learning processi.e., learning
that is self-rewarding or end in itselfrather than as a means to
another end. Slide 5 Question Do you agree or disagree with the
following statement? You can lead a horse to water but you cant
make him drink. Slide 6 Classic Quote The proper question is not,
How can people motivate others? but rather, How can people create
the conditions within which others will motivate themselves? Edward
Deci & Richard Flaste, Why We Do What We Do: Understanding
Self-Motivation Slide 7 Key Suppositions/Propositions * Student
motivation and student learning are inextricably interrelated. *
Student motivation involves a variety of underlying processes and
is influenced by multiple dimensions of the self (e.g., personal
attitudes, emotions, needs, beliefs, and values). * Student
motivation is malleable and modifiable. * Student motivation is a
measurable learning outcome. * Student motivation is a powerful
learning outcome. Slide 8 Classic Quotes Education is not the
filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. William Butler
Yeats, Irish poet and playwright Collateral learningthe way of
formation of enduring attitudes, of likes and dislikesmay be and
often is much more important than the lesson in geography or
history that is learned. The most important attitude that can be
formed is that of desire to go on learning. John Dewey, American
philosopher, psychologist and educational reformerAmerican
philosopherpsychologist educational reformer Slide 9 Key Principles
of Student (Human) Motivation 1. Personal Validation (Individual
Affirmation) 2. Self-Efficacy (Self-Confidence &
Self-Empowerment) 3. Meaning & Purpose (Perceiving Connections
& Relevance) 4. Engagement (Active Involvement) 5. Social
Integration (Belongingness) Slide 10 Question Which one of the five
just-mentioned principles of student (human) motivation is most
interesting to you or most relevant to your work with students?
Slide 11 Personal Validation (Individual Affirmation) Student
motivation is enhanced when students feel personally significant
i.e., when they feel recognized as individuals, that they matter to
the institution, and that the institution cares about them as total
(whole) human beings. Key Strategies: * Knowing Who Our Students
Are: Learning Their Names & Referring to Them by Name * Knowing
About Our Students: Using a Student Information Sheet to learn
about our students personal backgrounds, future plans, abilities
(talents), interests, values, learning expectations, habits and
styles. Slide 12 Self-Efficacy (Self-Confidence &
Self-Empowerment) Students are more likely to strive for and
achieve success when they believe that their personal effort
matterswhen they think they can exert significant influence or
control over the outcomes of their educational experience and their
future success. Slide 13 Self-Efficacy (Self-Confidence &
Self-Empowerment) Key Strategies: * Balancing Challenge &
Support: Scaffolding to Create Moderate Challenge * Providing
Effective Performance-Enhancing Feedback * Exposing Students to
Successful/Inspirational Role Models (With Whom They Can Identify)
Slide 14 MEANING & RELEVANCE (Perceiving Connections &
Relevance) Motivation is strengthened when students find meaning or
purpose in their learning experiencei.e., when they perceive
relevant connections between what theyre learning in college, their
current life, and their future goals. Slide 15 MEANING &
RELEVANCE (Perceiving Connections & Relevance) Key Strategies:
1. Helping Students Make Meaningful Connections across the
Curriculum & Co-curriculum a) Making connections across the
curriculum (i.e., between courses and disciplines) b) Making
connections between the curriculum and the co- curriculum Slide 16
MEANING & RELEVANCE (Perceiving Connections & Relevance)
Key Strategies: 2. Helping Students Make Connections between Their
College Experience & the Real World a) Relating academic
learning to current, newsworthy events b) Engaging students in
experiential learning (e.g., internships, service learning,
co-curricular experiences) c) Using reality-simulating learning
exercises in the classroom (e.g., simulations, scenarios, case
studies, problem-based learning) Slide 17 MEANING & RELEVANCE
(Perceiving Connections & Relevance) Key Strategies: 3. Helping
Students Make Relevant Connections between College Learning and
Their Personal Life a) Articulating learning outcomes that relate
to the development of student skills and that connect with their
personal goals b) Providing students with a rationale for why
theyre learning what their learning and how theyre being asked to
learn it c) Allowing students opportunities to make personal
choices & decisions about what they will learn and how they
will demonstrate what they have learned Slide 18 ENGAGEMENT (Active
Involvement) Student motivation increases with the degree or level
of student engagement in the learning process increases both inside
and outside the classroom. Slide 19 ENGAGEMENT (Active Involvement)
Key Strategies: * Capturing Initial Interest & Curiosity: a)
Intentionally titling learning topics to stimulate student interest
b) Setting the stage for learning topic with a provocative prompt
(e.g., a thought-provoking quote, provocative passage, powerful
picture, intriguing artifact, or content-relevant cartoon) c)
Starting the learning experience by creating cognitive dissonance
(e.g., posing a controversial question, surprising or
counterintuitive statement, dilemma or paradox). Slide 20
ENGAGEMENT (Active Involvement) * Recapturing Attention: a)
Changing learning routines/formats (information presentation,
whole-class discussion, small-group work, self- reflection
exercises, guest speakers, panels, role plays) b) Changing
modalities of sensory input and students seating location (physical
movement) c) Capitalizing on human emotion (e.g., poignant
pictures, drama, role play, games) Slide 21 ENGAGEMENT (Active
Involvement) * Creating an Intentional Start-to-Finish Sequence of
Student Engagement: a) At the start of the learning experience:
Activate (Warm Up) b) During the learning experience: Punctuate
(Break It Up) c) After the learning experience: Consolidate (Wrap
It Up) Slide 22 Question Would you agree with the following
statement? If students are engaged (actively involved in a learning
experience), they will learn from that experience. Slide 23 Classic
Quotes We choose and engage in what we find most meaningful.
Students are no exception, and they now have more choices on how to
spend their time and invest themselves. Students can experience so
much of the world today so easily, but do they forego the
discipline and time to reflect, construct and create meaning from
their exposure? Just being busy is insufficient. Larry Braskamp,
Developing Global Citizens Slide 24 Classic Quotes [Effective
colleges] are not just fostering engagement (as if simply being
engaged in something, anything, were enough), they are helping
students with their calling, something to be engaged about. Jon
Wergin, Putting Students First: How Colleges Develop Students
Purposefully Slide 25 SOCIAL INTEGRATION (Belongingness) Student
motivation is strengthened when learning takes places within the
context of human interaction, collaboration, and the formation of
interpersonal relationships between the student and other members
of the college communityfaculty, staff, and peers. Slide 26 SOCIAL
INTEGRATION (Belongingness) 1. Promoting Interpersonal Connections
between Students and Facultyinside and outside the classroom Key
Strategy: The Interactive LecturePosing Open-Ended Questions
(Divergent-Thinking) Questions during Informational Presentations
Slide 27 SOCIAL INTEGRATION (Belongingness) 2. Promoting
Interpersonal Connections between Students and Staffinterpersonal
contact with student-support professionals Key Strategy:
Course-Integrated Supportbringing student-support professionals to
class as guest speakers or bringing students to student-support
professionals via course assignments Slide 28 SOCIAL INTEGRATION
(Belongingness) 3. Promoting Interpersonal Connections between
Students and Their Peers: Key Strategies: a) Small-Group
Discussions (Pairs, Triads, Quads) b) Collaborative Learning:
students reach consensus in small groups c) Cooperative Learning:
intentional, instructor-created learning teams who work as a team
toward a common goal (unified work product) Slide 29 Question What
unanswered questions do you still have, or what more would you like
to know about student motivation? Slide 30 Recommended References
Deci, E. L. (1975). Intrinsic motivation. New York: Plenum. Deci,
E., & Flaste, R. (1996). Why We Do What We Do: Understanding
Self-Motivation. New York: Penguin. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M.
(1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human
behavior. New York: Plenum. Dweck, C. S. (1999). Self-Theories:
Their role in motivation, personality, and development.
Philadelphia, PA: The Psychology Press. Ginsberg, M. B., &
Wlodkowski, R. J. (2009). Diversity & motivation: Culturally
responsive teaching in college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Reeve,
J. (1996). Motivating others: Nurturing inner motivational
resources. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Wlodkowski, R.
J. (2008). Enhancing adult motivation to learn: A comprehensive
guide for teaching all adults (3 rd ed.). San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass. Slide 31 Thank you Joseph B. Cuseo, Ph.D. Professor
Emeritus, Psychology Educational Consultant, AVID
[email protected] Thank you for your participation!
