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 2 Learners

(students of moderate self-direction)

Introductory note.

Attributional Assumptions

 "Teacher is responsible for teaching and coaching specific steps of self-motivation and involving student in process of improving his or her ability. Students believe they have some ability but need help in acquiring skill and in maintaining motivation." (A)

Increase student involvement
  • Allow for introductions. (W)

  • Shift between student-instructor interaction and student-student interaction. (K)

  • Use games, role plays, or simulations that require learner participation. (K)

  • Build in problem solving activities at regular intervals. (K)

  • Provide learners with the opportunity to select topics. projects, and assignments that appeal to their curiosity, sense of wonder, and need to explore. (W)

  • Selectively emphasize and deal with the human perspective of what is being learned, with application to the personal daily lives of the learners. (W)

  • Ask learners to relate the instruction to their own future goals. (K)

  • When relevant, select content, examples, and projects that relate to: love and belongingness needs of the learners; learner values. (W)

  • Bring in alumni of the course as enthusiastic guest lecturers. (K)

  • Create components in the learning environment that tell learners they are accepted and respected participating members of the group. (W)

  • To satisfy the need for affiliation, establish trust and provide opportunities for no-risk, cooperative interaction. (K)

  • Create opportunities and conditions for the flow experience [i.e., intrinsically rewarding involvement with tasks]. (W)

Cultivate conscious learning strategies
  • Confront students directly about misbehavior; discuss what they can do to engage in more positive behavior. (A)

  • Make the learning goal as clear as possible. (W) Keep problem focused, and help students identify strategies they can use to solve the problems--both learning and behavior problems. (A)

  • Announce the expected amount of time needed for study and practice for successful learning. (W)

  • Explain the criteria for evaluation of performance. (K) Have students practice using the list of criteria to evaluate themselves on an assignment. (A)

  • Use creativity techniques to have students create unusual analogies and associations to the content. (K)

  • Introduce a fact that seems to contradict the learner's past experience. (K) Present an example that does not seem to exemplify a given concept. (K)

Cultivate internal control
  • Provide intermittent [less frequent] reinforcement as student becomes more competent at a task. (K)

  • Monitor somewhat closely, but give feedback first by asking students to examine and evaluate their own work, cueing them to relevant information as necessary. (A)

  • Verbally reinforce a student's intrinsic pride in accomplishing a difficult task. (K) Hold discussions with students about the role effort plays in their productive work. (A)

  • Reward intrinsically interesting task performance with unexpected, non-contingent rewards. (K)

  • Encourage students to feel good about successful completion of a project or a step toward completion. (A)

  • Allow a student to use a new skill in a realistic setting as soon as possible. (K)

  • When learning has natural consequences, help learners to be aware of them as well as their impact. (W)

  • Help students make a plan for completing specific projects--starting with short (15-min.) projects and moving to longer ones. (A)

  • Show students how to break task down into subgoals. Model this and have students practice it. (A)

  • When making an assignment, help students brainstorm lists of strategies for getting the project done. Help them analyze the effectiveness of these strategies.

  • Continue to reward incremental steps toward larger goals. (G)

  • Give students practice in setting realistic goals and devising strategies to accomplish those goals. (A)

  • Use formative evaluative procedures to measure and commmunicate learner progress and mastery. (W)

  • Use imagery techniques to help learners clearly remember specific problems or tasks that are relevant to the knowledge or skill being taught. (W)

  • Offer the opportunity for responsible attainment of knowledge, skills, and learning goals that relate to the esteem needs of the learners. (W)

  • Hold discussions with students about the role their own effort plays in their productive work. (A)

  • Phase out praise; phase in encouragement. Deflect students from sterile perfectionism and toward celebrating genuine accomplishment. (G)

Emphasize relevance
  • When issuing mandatory assignments, give your rationale. (W)

Other
  • Minimize any negative conditions that surround the subject. (W)


Motivating S3 Students