Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation
What are some strategies for increasing student motivation?
It is important to keep students engaged in the classroom. Criminal Justice students enjoy hearing of my personal experiences during my career. Student tend to relate to the course topic of discussion while assimilating their thoughts about their goals. Explicit expectations are outlined at the beginning of the course and with emphasis on classroom etiquette. Students will usually reflect upon their personal experiences with others who were non-compliant and acknowledge the expected culture of the classroom environment.
@gmeers Crucial to success to class pass rate. Student engagment is linked directly to motivation.
@otterdoc
I have been trtying to find a dermatoligist to come speak to my class but have been unsucessful so far, the class is only 7 days so taking a field trip wouldn't go over well with administration unless I could get them into the burn unit but they, the hospital, are highly unlikely to approve 20 students trapsing through their unit - I know I wouldn't be happy about that happening if I were working there. Sorry if I sound negative I'm just a little frustrated that all of these wonderful ideas seem out of reach. I'm teaching skin - its function, it's parts, its diseases, issues, and treatments there's a ton of stuff that could be taught and I wish I knew someone with an expertise in this area to help me bring it to life. I have found some great pictures but nothing beats war stories from the trenches or really exciting hands on activities to liven things up only I can't think of any activities to have them do.
@nazzifazeli
Where do you find your case studies? I am about to teach a class on the integumentry system and it is not my area of expertise and I would love to find some relevant case studies.
@gmeers We have a really good dean of education here and one of his inservices was on breaking up the lecture with a kinetic learning acvtivity. It wakes the students up creates excitement in th classroom as well as stimulating another learning center in th brain making them all better learners.
@gmeers I see my students are motivated when I am excited about what I am teaching. They know I will have discussions about the material and they seem to want to be prepared for the discussion. It is a lot of fun! Carole Ray
Jennifer,
Very good idea! Being a motivating instructor can only have positive impact on the students!
@gmeers :
I've learned that surprise quizzes and tests help motivate students to retain information and pay better attention! I mostly teach cerfitication courses as it relates to IT, so I'm very adamant about students paying attention and every class practically dictate that employers will be looking at their resume to see what industry-standard certifications they have that will most likely determine whether or not they get hired. I also tell them every class to not let the learning stop when you leave the classroom at the end of the night and to not just use one book for reference when it comes to knowledge. I give tons of practice tests and walk through things slowly so they understand things, and always take time to ask every so often if anyone has any questions. It's when nobody raises their hands that I start asking questions about the things we just went over and when nobody raises their hands, I put them on the spot and make them think through and give an answer to make sure I know they understand the topics we just discussed.
@mskala03d :Miriam, I really like this idea of having students contribute to the list of rude behavior. They are less likely to exhibit a behavior if they had a role in devloping the list.
I use asking students to explain in detail their plans following graduation. I frequently ask this question during the course.
Dr. Meers,
One strategy i enjoy employing in my field is to immerse the students in the subject. Let my passion and energy for the subject motivate them to do the same. I have my students not only pick up the different ingredients, but taste and smell them as well, engage all their senses. In my experience even the most nervous of students feel comfortable and motivated. I also try to limit the students self-defeating attitude by explaining to them that i will not give up on the student.
That is a great idea! Have the students write down at least one personal goal on a note card and then use them to help relate the lecture material to their personal goals. It is also a great way to get to know the students better.
In teaching my math classes I also relate how the topics will appear in other classes. This gives the students another motivating factor to understand the topics presented.
Students can also contribute to each others motivation starting from introductions the first day of class. In a technical class setting some students will likely already be working in some area of the field. Some may have the goal and promise of a promotion, more responsibility, and/or a salary increase upon completion of degree. Seeing the work and effort of school translate into a real life career among peers is a huge motivator.
John,
The more examples you can find and use the better because by using them you are increasing the value of the content to the students. Many students as you know do not value core or academic courses as they think they have no place in their training yet they do because they are foundational skills they need to have in order to be successful in their career.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Since I teach a general math course, I am starting to work with other instructors to see what math is encountered in their courses. This way those situations can be used as examples in my math course.
I am fortunate that former students stop by during class to discuss their success strategy. They also are able to emphasize the importance of the course content which aided in their success. It's amazing how students will listen intently to what former students have to say.
Erich,
The more you can connect the dots between classroom content and the real world the better. By doing so you increase the value of the course in the minds of students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
One source of motivation is relavence to career. This was mentioned in the course. I try to list and discuss applications of the course material in the real world, related to the target careers of the students.
