I like to use positive reinforcement wherever possible. Show the students you have a level of sensitivity for their needs. Try to reward their good performance and it will spread around the entire class. If the students see that they are succeeding, it encourages them to continue to do more in the class.
I have just finished a quarter where I struggled with student motivation.
I teach English, which students at our career college repeatedly tell me is a waste of their time and their money. They think they will never have to write in their careers.
To illustrate that they will need to communicate well, I talk about the applicability of the course on the first day and emphasize throughout the course the skills they are learning and how they will use them. I also have an assignment where they need to research the kinds of writing they will have to do in their careers; their research includes talking to a professional. I also include instruction and assignments on business communication. I use lecture, small group work, and individual assignments to reinforce this learning.
I am out of ideas. Any other teachers out there who can help me?
Hi Nicole,
Is it possible to have these kinds of students do special projects that they are excited about? Or, maybe have them develop and present course content sections to the class. This would help them to take pride in their own work even though they might not be excited about the course itself.
Gary
How can I increase student motivation for those students that just want to get through a course and out of the program? The course in question is a higher level course and directly related to the degree the students want to obtain, and yet some make it very clear they are only there so they can get out of school. Any suggestions?
Hi Kelly,
Good example of helping to motivate students and reward them for their effort. Also, by doing this they know you care about their success. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Hi All,
I think motivation and student retention are critical to each of us. We want to see our student work hard and succeed, but we have to take the time to motivate them. For me, there are little morsels of encouragement that I give them, along with the opportunity to succeed. When students ask me for extra credit, I encourage them to study a little harder for the test and eliminate the need to spend time on extra credit. Then I still offer them extra credit on the exam so that they feel motivated to do well. Positive classroom interaction can make a big difference in motivating and retaining a student.
Hi Shirley,
You are right. We find that the retention of knowledge goes up as well with this method because the students have to work to learn and build the foundation of the concept they are studying. Everyone relishes something they have had to work hard for and knowledge acquisition is no exception.
Gary
Teach Inductively - It has been said that presenting conclusions first and then providing examples robs students of the joy of discovery. Why not present some examples first and ask students to make sense of them, to generalize about them, to draw the conclusions themselves? By beginning with the examples, evidence, stories, and so forth and arriving at conclusions later, you can maintain interest and increase motivation, as well as teach the skills of analysis and synthesis. Remember that the parable method of making a point has some significant historical precedent.
I have found that if I am motivated and excited about the course and my profession, the students become motivated. Coupled with that, I always inform my students as to how they can incorporate my course content in the field of dental hygiene. This motivates them to learn because they will indeed utilize what is being learned once they are hygienists!
To motivate students be a role model of the professional they want to be in the future.
Hi Melissa,
When I have a class where my students are uncertain about their abilities to be successful the activities I use are very basic. Example, I have students interview each other using a set of questions I have created that cover the basics of the field on an entry level. The students take turns interviewing each other so that the students get to share their life experiences in the context of the course. This really helps to boost their self confidence from the very first class meeting. I put the students into groups or pairs depending on how many students I have in the class and have them review case studies and make recommendations for solutions. I'm not sure of your field but if it is in the culinary arts for example I have the students talk about and resolve a menu planning situation. If it is medical I have them do a patient request case study. My point is the solutions are common sense so the students have little or no chance of failure but a high rate of success. While working on the cases they are getting to know other students and get settled in the class. There is very little pressure and they can get adjusted to how the class is going to be conducted. What it really amounts to is the activities are venue for getting the students acclimated to being college students and getting them to feel they can be successful. They need to know they are "in" in terms of being accepted in the course by fellow students and you the instructor.
If you have any more questions please let me know and I will be glad to help.
Gary
Dr. Gary,
Can you elaborate on the types of activities you use in the beginning of the course to help students feel better about their skills. What are some specific activities I can use to make them feel more comfortable and going back to school seem less scary.
It seems so simple to just ask the students about their field experiences or learning experiences, and yet I feel it is often overlooked. I really like Karen's suggestion, and plan to implement it. To help me understand how my students learn I like to survey how many of them are visual, audio, or hands-on type learners. Then statistically show the class the results. I found it not only motivates them to learn, but helps them understand the different ways of learning. Also, I feel it gives them patience when I re-teach something in a way that may not directly target them.
Hi James,
Develop some basic activities that will give students the opportunity to have success. I have found that those that are uncertain about their abilities after being out of school for a long period of time will develop self confidence very quickly once they have some success. I use these activities at the start of a new class so they have success early and this really helps them to get settled into the course and feel that they can do the work.
Gary
I find many students quite insecure as to not having been in an academic environment for many years. How can I assure them that they can succeed if they apply themselves, since just saying it does not seem to be effective?
I believe expressing the importance of the assignment and how it ties into their future growth will get them motivated.
After talking with the students on the first night about their backgrounds and career goals, I link the class experiences/goals to the goals of the course - and give examples of how assimilation of class material will benefit them professionally.
Hi Mill,
These kinds of examples are very powerful motivators for students. They relate to these "almost" peers and can see themselves in the same settings as these former students. This gives them real encouragement.
Gary
That sounds like a great idea, I will have to try it on my class this term. Thanks.
Recenty I have tried to use examples of graduated students who are achieving industry success to motivate students. By showing student past and current work and talking about concrete skills such as networking and volunteering to enter the industry. Students appear to respond to this and feel that goals can be attainable since their peers are achieving success by these means.
