Monday 9 November 2015

Motivation: Give it all you've got

I think intrinsic motivation is acquired over time thru our experiences, values and beliefs.  I also think the foundation of our intrinsic motivation is developed quite early in life, by how we are raised.  The way our parents think and behave is often (not always thou) how we think and behave.  These experiences and our reactions to those experiences form our individual attitudes and beliefs towards motivation.  My Dad’s “give it all you’ve got” approach to all things in life may have started out as a Extrinsic motivator for me as I sought his praise, but I find as I am getting older this way of thinking is becoming more Intrinsic as the importance shifts to my personal satisfaction with my own efforts.  I liked the relevance of these examples of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation towards my beliefs. 


Intrinsic- self efficacy, locus of control, self-esteem, attitudes, needs

Extrinsic- positive reinforcement, degree of challenge/ stimulation, support, instructor’s characteristic


There are many models and loads of tips to increase motivation in students but this model summed up the key points for me.  

The MUSIC model of Academic Motivation, was developed by Dr Brett Jones in 2009, "as a research-based motivation model to help instructors motivate learners."   MUSICSM is an acronym that can be used to remember the five key principles of the model that relate to the words eMpowerment, Usefulness, Success, Interest, and Caring. The principles are listed below.

The instructor needs to ensure that students:

  1. feel empowered by having the ability to make decisions about some aspects of their learning,
  2. understand why what they are learning is useful for their short- or long-term goals,
  3. believe that they can succeed if they put forth the effort required,
  4. are interested in the content and instructional activities, and
  5. believe that the instructor and others in the learning environment care about their learning and about them as a person (Jones, 2009).
This article goes into detail with key concepts and suggestions to implement for each of the five principles.

Below are some suggestions from my fellow classmates in the PIDP 3250 course, Thank you. 
Some tools to use in the classroom: 
  • get out of the classroom - take the lesson outside,  go on a field trip. 
  • relate learning to course outcomes/objectives, and goals
  • provide relevant, timely and forward thinking feedback
  • connect with students, let them know you care about them
  • give them the freedom to create and play with their new knowledge
  • provide regular quiet time in class for students to focus on their work alone
  • bring in a guest speaker
  • hold all participants accountable 

1 comment:

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