Engaging with Engagement Data Looking beyond the symptoms Dr Sherria Hoskins Head of Psychology University of Portsmouth  

Sub-Scale Meaning Meaning Orientation. Deep approach. Inter-relating ideas. Use of evidence. Intrinsic motivation. Active questioning in learning. Relating to other parts of the course. Relating Evidence to conclusions. Interest in learning for learning’s sake. Reproducing Orientation. Surface approach. Syllabus-boundness. Fear of failure. Extrinsic motivation. Pre-occupation with memorising. Relying on staff to define learning tasks. Pessimism and anxiety about academic outcomes. Interest in course for the qualifications it offer.

Perceive no control/helpless Deci and Ryan (1985) Without goals Perceive no control/helpless Perceive self as incompetent Don’t know why at university Amotivated

Them or us? CPQ & ASI (Entwistle & Ramsden, 1983) Deep Approach Surface Approach Spoon Feeding X Heavy Workload Good Teaching Freedom/Autonomy Openess Social Climate

Them or us? Arnold and Fleighny (1995) School experiences (Wilson, 1981) Students’ Baseline Learning Approach Perceptions of Educational Context Selection of Learning Approach Performance Surface approach (Harper and Kember, 1986)

Psychological factors Self-theories Implicit theories

Self-theories Bandura (Self Efficacy) More than self-esteem or confidence Can I do this? Early experience. Watching others (social comparisons) What will it get me? Do I want it?

Students have highly personal responses to feedback. Prof. Liz McDowell Students have highly personal responses to feedback. Effected by and impinges on their emotions, identity & sense of self-worth.

Gordon Surface approach with low efficacy Starts work early. Enjoys finding out/reading. Hard time writing and presenting the assignment. Worries that it won’t be good enough. Not sure what lecturer looking for. Feedback is threatening to him. Tells him whether he’s got assignment right. Whether he is capable of university. Unwilling to look at it.

Carla Deep approach with high self-efficacy Thinks about what she already knows and how she can link it. Starts writing straight away. Talk to her friends– making connections there too. Proud of assignment, it’s says what she wants it to say. She hopes that the lecturer will find it interesting. Feedback is for learning, it’s a response to her own ideas. Generic comments, no dialogue = can’t see the point.

Pia Surface approach with high self efficacy Plans work carefully Gets relevant resources, writes, re-writes, checks meeting assignment criteria After done - satisfied with job well done, hopes for good mark. Eager to see feedback – how can she improve the next time. If she’s not sure about anything, she’ll see the lecturer. Usually she does well, and feels confident. When doesn’t get the marks that she expects, makes her more determined.

Martin Amotivation What do I have to do to get by? Hopes there is set reading. Feedback - check done enough He might have to start putting more effort in, or he might have got away with it.

Who is disengaged? Who is engaged? Where might it go wrong?

Carla – gone wrong! How can high efficacy and deep approach = amotivated? Motivation = engaged, read extensively, attempt to develop their own opinions encounter problems writing - selection, word limit, structure, style, often failed attempt an argument detrimental effect on essay marks without effective feedback student cannot overcome difficulties/dent to self-efficacy lose understanding motivation & adopt reproducing orientation if marking perceived as unfair/unclear = disenchantment

Resilience?

Helplessness orientation Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset Ability fixed & can’t change much Ability can be developed Focus on performance Focus on learning Failure and/or effort perceived as being sign of low ability Not threatened by hard work or failure Choose activities to maximise performance (easy ones to feel clever) Seek new challenges for a sense of achievement Don’t recover well from setbacks Repair self-esteem: look at work of people who do worse deny value of work do only what we already do well Mistakes are perceived as a good thing as they help the learning processes Decrease efforts (passive or active), consider cheating (self-protection) View effort and persistence as a necessary part of success Helplessness orientation Mastery orientation

Psychological Factors Them or us? Psychological Factors Experience Academic Context

HEFCE Learning Gain Project Longitudinal (3 years, 3 time points) + cross sectional Student Records (demographics) KIS New LG tools Learner resilience scale Self-efficacy Existing measures Implicit theories (Dweck 1980) UKES (HEA) ASSIST (Entwistle and Ramsden)

Thank you Twitter: @UoPLearningGain emily.mason-apps@port.ac.uk