From the article, "Teaching Learners to be Self-Directed"

by Gerald Grow, Ph.D.
School of Journalism, Media & Graphic Arts
Florida A&M University
Tallahassee, FL 32307 USA

available at: http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow

Referencing this publication

Motivating Stage 1 Learners

(learners of low self-direction)

Note on motivation section.

Attributional Assumptions

 The dependent learner has these assumptions about motivation: "Teacher is responsible for motivating and developing ability of students. Students believe they have little motivation or ability to complete the task." (A)

S1 Motivation Strategies

Organize
  • Create a learning environment that is organized and orderly. (W)

  • Incorporate clearly stated, appealing learning goals into instructional materials. (K)

  • Introduce, connect, and end learning activities attractively and clearly. (W) Specify what is to be done, when, where, and how. (A) Begin lesson with short statement of goals. (A)

  • Provide a reinforcing event for positive closure at the end of significant units of learning. (K)

  • Follow uniform procedures. (A)

Cultivate enthusiasm
  • Model enthusiasm for the subject taught. (K)

  • State explicitly the present intrinsic value of learning the content, as distinct from its value as a link to future goals. (K)

  • Associate the learner with other learners who are enthusiastic about the subject. (W)

Create success through manageable challenges
  • Make the first experience with the subject as positive as possible. (W)

  • Supervise carefully (A). Ensure successful learning. (W) Frequently check for student understanding. (A) Provide close guidance during initial practice. (A)

  • To enhance achievement-striving behavior, provide opportunities to achieve standards of excellence under conditions of moderate risk. (K)

  • Reward incremental steps toward larger goals. ("Gold star" method) (G)

  • Organize materials on an increasing level of difficulty; that is, structure the learning material to provide a "conquerable challenge." (K)

  • Break assignments into small steps. Give detailed instructions and explanations. (A)

  • State explicitly how instruction builds on learner's existing skills. (K) Review previous, prerequisite learnings. (A)

  • Introduce the unfamiliar through the familiar. (W) Use analogies familiar to learner from past experience. (K) Present new material in small steps. (A)

  • Give praise for successful progress or accomplishment. (K) Provide frequent reinforcements when a student is learning a new task. (K) Have high level of active practice with continuous reinforcement. (A) Provide informative, helpful feedback when it is immediately useful. (K) Provide frequent, systematic positive feedback, reinforcement, and correction. (A)

  • Whenever possible, help the learner realize how to operationalize in daily living what has been learned. (W)

  • Encourage the learner. (W)

  • Give personal attention to students. (K)

  • Reduce components of the learning environment that lead to failure or fear. (W) Avoid the use of threats as a means of obtaining task performance. (K) Avoid surveillance (as opposed to positive attention). (K)

  • Use extrinsic reinforcers for routine, well-learned activities, complex skill building, and drill-and-practice activities. (W)

Make the instruction relevant
  • Find out what learners' interests are and relate them to the instruction. (K)

  • When relevant, select content, examples, and projects that relate to the physiological and safety needs of learners. (W)

  • State explicitly how the instruction relates to future activities of the learner. (K)

 

  • Help learners to realize their accountability for what they are learning. (K)

Encourage participation
  • Make learner reaction and active participation an essential part of the learning process. (W)

  • Provide frequent response opportunities to all learners. (W)

  • Use questions to stimulate learner interest. (W) Selectively use application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation questions and tasks to stimulate learner involvement. (W)

Keep it interesting
  • Challenge the learners. (W) Introduce minor challenges during instruction. (W)

  • Use unpredictability and uncertainty to the degree that learners enjoy them with a sense of security. (W)

  • Use humor. (W) Where appropriate, use plays on words during redundant information presentation. (K)

  • Provide variety in personal presentation style, methods of instruction, and learning materials. (W)

  • Selectively use breaks, physical exercises, and energizers. (W)

  • When appropriate, help learners to directly experience cognitive concepts on a physical and emotional level. (W)

  • Selectively use examples, analogies, metaphors, and stories. (W)

  • Use content-related anecdotes, case studies, biographies, etc. (K)

  • Show visual representations of any important object or set of ideas or relationships. (K)

Cultivate responsibility
  • Help learners to attribute their success to their ability and their effort. (W)

  • When learning tasks are suitable to their ability, help learners to understand that effort and persistence can overcome their failures. (W)

  • Include statements about the likelihood of success with given amounts of effort and ability. (K)

  • Affirm the learners' responsibility and any significant actions or characteristics that contributed to the successful completion of the learning task. (K) Emphasize deadlines (A).

  • Positively confront the possible erroneous beliefs, expectations, and assumptions that may underlie a negative learner attitude. (W)

Publish student work
  • Plan activities to allow learners to share and to publicly display their projects and skills. (K)


Motivating S2 Learners