Reinforcement allow the student to recognize that the have learned the information. The information is in their brain they just have to practice bring it out. Students are motivated when they realize that I do remember this information.
Robert,
Good point so we need to plan our reinforcers to make sure they are informative and supportive while promoting the improvement of student performance.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Reinforcement is used to increase the intensity of a behavior while punishment is used to decrease a behavior (Although it shoud be noted that differential reinforcement replacement behaviors modules are mre effective at decreasing a specific problem behavior while increasing a beneficial behavior). The target behavior is absorbtion of the education for practical generalization in the field. Therefore, reinforcing behaviors that are beneficial will help achieve this goal.
Margaret,
I know you are going to like the results you get through the use of this strategy. I wish you much success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Great idea,I will try this method on the next module. I'm sure this will be a positive to use as a reinforcement to movtivate my students.
Greg,
This is a good strategy to use. I just see your students starting to light up as they "teach" you the material and realize that they have "got it" and can explain it. What a great moment as an educator.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In some cases, I can reinforce what a student has leaned, by having them teach me. After a concept or process has been explained, I will tell the student(s) that I am new to this material and have been mandated to complete this project within a short amount of time. I ask the student(s) to explain the process to me and assist me in completing my project.
It is fun to watch the ‘light come on’ as they are forced to think through the process. They suddenly realize, ‘Hey, I really do understand this material!’ At that point, it is time for the high-five!
i think it builds self esteem which leads to a greater desire to learn.
Previous message should have read:
This is a wonderful exercise, thank you. I will incorporate it to my lectures. I'm always looking for ways to motivate my students. This seems to be a great activity, one that will definitely reinforce what is being taught.
Thank you.
This is a wonderful exercise, thank you. I will incorporate it my lectures. I'm always looking for ways to motivate my students. This seems to be a great activity and will definitely reinforce what is being thaught.
this is a great idea. I am going to try this in the next quarter
Jen,
This is such a great support to and for your students. They see you as a caring instructor that wants to help them be successful. From there it is up to them to put forth the effort to be successful. A win win for everyone.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I make sure that at midterm I sit with each student and let them know what they've done well on and what they need to fix in order to do better on the next assignment. I find that the one on one conversations motivate students to improve their grade.
Reinforcement can be used to motivate students because giving feedback provides insight to the students. I mentioned in a previous topic about feedback being an important factor in a good teacher. Students respond to reinforcement and feedback. By going over material with students in different ways and learning styles this will help the student retain information and use it in real life scenarios.
Craig,
This is a good system to have in place for the reasons you list. It is comprehensive yet easy to understand in relation to getting rewarded for effort expended. This is what the work world is like and your class grading system reflects this.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The module mentions this but in Visual Communication we sometimes use "bonus tasks" for students after they grasp the basic lesson. For instance, in an introductory Photoshop class, a lecture and demonstration are presented to focus on a core-learning event for the student. Then, a secondary "bonus" activity is offered as well. This serves several purposes. If a student comes into the class with a high level of experience, this extra assignment keeps them focused and active in the class if they finish the core task with ease. Students that are new to Photoshop get an extra sense of achievement by completing the core lesson successfully and then move onto the "extra" topics. If a student only completes the core lesson and doesn't move to the "bonus" content, it's not a punishment since that "bonus" content is always delivered as being external to the more important core lesson. Of course, the outline/guideline of the core and bonus content is also delivered in writing as a handout. So the students can go back and reflect on all facets of the lesson at their leisure at a later date.
Most people respond well to positive reinforcement and students often have a desire to please instructors and this can be helpful in encouragement.
Charles,
So true. Having our lives count for something is a part of the legacy we leave. How we shape that legacy depends on how much we invest in others.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I belive that from early childhood to just before our last breath, we seek and want approval to to know that we are okay; that our lives are counting for something. Without that, it's an empty trip.
Hi Ed: I simply tell students at the beginning of the course that their "ticket out of class every day" before they can leave my class is to tell me & their classmates 1-2 things that they learned from class. Depending on class size, it can take just a few minutes right at they end. This reinforces to students that they are learning and it makes them accountable to themselves/classmates to participate and pay attention. Mostly, I want students to see that their time is well spent in my classroom and that they are capable of learning even the most difficult concepts. Students really enjoy it and will help each other out sometimes with helping to further explain something.
