1. Using the Science of Motivation to Engage All Learners
Christine Harrington, Ph.D.

2. Motivational Conditions that Enhance Motivation to Learn Wlodkowski and Ginsberg (1995)
Establishing Inclusion
Respect and Connection
Developing Attitude
Positive Mindset and Internal Locus of Control
Enhancing Meaning
Real World Applications and Critical Thinking
Engendering Competence
Self-efficacy and Celebrating Success

3. Establishing Inclusion
Respect and Connection

4. Establishing Inclusion: Instructional Strategies
Respect and Expectations
Foundation of respect/validation
Negotiated, clear rules and norms
Connections and Relationships
Ice-breakers
Equitable attention from instructor

5. Fostering Connection Before the Semester even Begins…
Legg and Wilson (2009)

6. Received e-mail 1 week prior to class
The Study…
66 college students
Received 1 week prior to class
Did not receive
Randomly assigned

7. Overall perception of the course
Increased Attitudes,
Perceptions, and Motivation

8. Using Your Syllabus to Communicate Respect and Encourage Connection

9. The Syllabus and Reaching Out for Support

10. Perrine, Lisle, & Tucker, (1995)
Seek help from instructor?
104 College Students
Support Statement on Syllabus
“Please come and talk to me”
No Support Statement on Syllabus

11. Results- Willingness to Seek Help
Potential Problem
Supportive
Neutral
Trouble understanding textbook
4.7
3.7
Low grade on first exam
4.8
4.0
Hard to hear instructor's lectures
4.4
3.8
Study skills ineffective for course
3.6
Thinking about dropping course
4.9
Trouble understanding major topic
5.3
4.2
All significantly different!

12. The First Day of Class (Wilson and Wilson, 2007)
First Day of Class- Undergraduate Students
Positive Condition- Friendly Videotape
Negative Condition- Non-emotional Videotape

13. Results: Positive First Day (friendly):
Higher motivation across the semester
Higher grades

14. Establishing Inclusion
Action Plan
Establishing Inclusion

15. Developing Attitude
Positive Mindset and Internal Locus of Control

16. Developing Attitude: Instructional Strategies
Positive Mindset
Communicate belief in their ability
Foster academic resilience
Give students choices about learning
Productive Thinking- Locus of Control
Help students attribute success and failure to controllable factors such as effort
Focus on modeling a positive attitude and intrinsic purpose toward learning
Strategies include giving students a choice about:
how to learn,
what to learn,
who to learn with,
how to solve emerging problems,
how learning will be assessed,
and if they believe they have accomplished that learning.

17. Bandura (1997)
Self-efficacy
Goals
Actions
Effort
Persistence
Self-efficacy Can I successfully do the activities needed to be successful?

18. What About OUR Expectations Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968)
Do teacher expectations impact student performance?

19. Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) Study
Brief Overview Students were randomly assigned IQ scores (smart or not smart) and these scores were provided to teachers.
Students were labeled
“Smart”
“Not Smart”

20. Results at a Glance
Students in the “smart” group performed significantly better than the students in the “not smart” group.

21. Wait- there’s more!
Rats were randomly assigned to “fast learner” or “slow learner” category and graduate students had to teach rats to run a maze.

22. Results at a Glance: “Fast learning” rats
Mastered the mazes more quickly
Viewed as smarter
Viewed as more attractive
Viewed as more likeable
than the “slow learning” rats!

23. Attribution Theory

24. Mueller and Dweck’s (1998) Study
Moderate Difficulty Puzzle
Feedback (Based on Group)
Difficult Puzzle
Moderate Difficulty Puzzle

25. Prediction Time: Who Performed the BEST and Who Performed the WORST on the last puzzle?
Experimental Group 1
Wow you did really well, you must be SMART.
Ability:
Experimental Group 2
Wow you did really well, you must have WORKED HARD.
Effort:
Control Group
Wow you did really well.
Control:

26. The Results…

27. Students in Ability Praise group
Solved less puzzles correctly
Did not want to persist on tasks
Did not enjoy the task as much
as students in the effort praise group.

28. Application to College
Help students attribute their mistakes to something that is INTERNAL and CHANGEABLE (like effort)!

29. Action Plan
Developing Attitude

30. Enhancing Meaning
Real World Applications and Critical Thinking

31. Enhancing Meaning: Instructional Strategies
Making Connections to Real World
Numerous Examples
Role-playing
Case Studies
Scenarios
Deep Engagement with Content and Critical Thinking
Critical Questioning
Inquiry Opportunities
Active Learning Strategies

32. Questioning (King 1995) Beyond Facts Critical thinking Why?
What evidence?
How does this connect to…

33. Cooperative Learning Activities
Jigsaw Classroom (Walker & Crogan, 1998)
Improved academic performance
Better attitude toward peers
Reduced prejudice

34. Jigsaw Classroom (Aronson et al., 1978)
Home Base Group- Decide on Topics
Expert Group- Learn about Topic
Home Base Group- Teach each other about Topic

35. Group Work – Research Based Tips
Working individually on entire project BEFORE working together resulted in better academic performance
Knowing CONTENT first led to better performance
(Sarfo and Ellen, 2011)

36. Action Plan
Enhancing Meaning

37. Engendering Competence
Self-efficacy and Success

38. Engendering Competence: Instructional Strategies
Building Academic Self-Efficacy Through Successful Experiences
Teach goal setting and effective study strategies
Design challenging yet doable assignments
Effective feedback
Celebrating Success
Valuing and rewarding a diversity of competencies
Opportunities for reflection and self-assessment

39. Goal Setting:

40. Morisano, Hirsch, Peterson, Pilh, & Shore (2010)
85 college students who were struggling academically
Goal setting intervention (2 ½ hours)
Generic intervention
GPA, Survey questions about withdrawal rates and emotions

41. The Findings
Also less likely to drop classes!

42. ABCS Framework Aim High Believe in Yourself Care and Commit
Specify and Self-Reflect

43. Goal Setting: What Works?
Challenging Goals, Better Results
Locke and Latham (2002)
Wicker, Hamman, Reed, McCann, & Turner (2005)

44. Is there a Downside to Challenging Goals? Reynolds & Baird (2010)
1979
Ages 14-22
12,686 participants
1992
9,016 participants
Highest Degree
4,892 participants

45. Results… Go Ahead Challenge Yourself
No evidence of “emotional cost” (depression) for unrealized goals
Higher expectations were associated with lower levels of depression

46. Characteristics of Effective Feedback (Wlodkowski, 2008):
Connected to a “standard” (i.e. rubric)
Informs the student
Specific and constructive
Prompt and frequent
Wlodkowski (2008) suggests that feedback should be:
Connected to a “standard” (i.e. rubric)
Inform the student
Be specific and constructive
Prompt and frequent
Additionally, we should provide many learning opportunities (Arum & Roksa, 2011)
And varied opportunities to value different types of success (i.e., exams, projects, written communication, presentations, problem-based learning tasks)

47. Feedback: Faculty Comments Stern and Solomon (2006)
Is this what we want to emphasize?

48. Re-thinking Assignments: An Equity Issue (Taras, 2006)
Challenging Assignment
First Draft or Attempt
Feedback
Second Draft or Attempt
Final Product

49. Many Learning Opportunities
Feedback should be given early and often!

50. Feedback on one aspect of the assignment
Targeted Feedback
Feedback on one aspect of the assignment

51. Feedback: Linking Assignments?
Rough Draft
Individual Paper
Power Point Slides
Presentation

52. Cognitive Feedback: In Person Approaches
Power of VERBAL Feedback

53. Celebrating Different Types of Success
Quizzes or tests
Papers
Presentations
Portfolios

54. Engendering Competence
Action Plan
Engendering Competence

55. Thank You for “Working Hard” Today All the Best as You Use the Science of Motivation to Engage Learning!
Questions?