JUMP START TO MOTIVATION

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JUMP START TO MOTIVATION

• Bill Ganza
• Teaching and Learning Conference

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What is motivation

• Motivation is typically defined as the forces
  that account for the arousal, selection,
  direction, and continuation of behavior.

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Our role in Student motivation
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General strategies

• Capitalize on students' existing needs.
• Make students active participants in learning.
• Ask students to analyze what makes their classes
  more or less "motivating.
• Instructor's enthusiasm
• Relevance of the material
• Organization of the course
• Appropriate difficulty level of the material
• Active involvement of students
• Variety
• Rapport between teacher and students
• Use of appropriate, concrete, and understandable
  examples

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Instructional behaviors

• Hold high but realistic expectations for your
  students.
• Help students set achievable goals for
  themselves.
• Tell students what they need to do to succeed in
  your course.
• Strengthen students' self-motivation.
• Avoid creating intense competition among
  students.
• Be enthusiastic about your subject.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

• Work from students' strengths and interests.
• When possible, let students have some say in
  choosing what will be studied.
• Increase the difficulty of the material as the
  semester progresses.
• Vary your teaching methods.

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De-emphasizing Grades

• Emphasize mastery and learning rather than
  grades..
• Design tests that encourage the kind of learning
  you want students to achieve.
• Avoid using grades as threats.

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Respond to their work

• Give students feedback as quickly as possible.
• Reward success.
• Introduce students to the good work done by their
  peers. Be specific when giving negative feedback.
  
• Avoid demeaning comments.
• Avoid giving in to students' pleas for "the
  answers.

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References

• http//tep.uoregon.edu/resources/faqs/motivatingst
  udents/motivating.html
• http//www.virtualsalt.com/motivate.htm
• http//honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/Fac
  DevCom/guidebk/teachtip/motiv.htm
• http//www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/boost-you
  r-skills/8454.html
• http//www.aacu.org/peerreview/pr-wi07/pr-wi07_pra
  ctice.cfm
• http//ftad.osu.edu/read/teaching/how_students_lea
  rn/learn_motivation.html
• http//college.hmco.com/education/pbl/tc/motivate.
  htmlmotivation

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Questions?

• Contact Information
• Bill Ganza
• Director of Professional Development
• Florida Community College Jacksonville
• wganza_at_fccj.edu