Hi Cliff,
Well said. I like your last sentence. This puts it into perspective for all of us. We all have to see the opportunity for success or we are not going to keep our focus and strive for opportunities for enhancement in our career development.
Gary
Reinforcement can dispel the doubts a student may have in their ability to succeed. Also, if a student loses motivation due to stress (related to unexpected family or work issues), positive reinforcement may be the only thing that will keep them going. We all need to know that we are likely to finish the race, otherwise we are likely to stop running.
It can help them see that they are moving in the right direction and that they are doing well. They can see that they have someone who cares, and who knows what they are supposed to be doing to meet their goals and to complete the course.
Hi Myra,
Good strategy. You are being supportive of your students but not inflating your praise. This way they know they earned a "good job" statement while knowing they need to do better when they slip.
Gary
While I agree that students need to hear they are doing a good job - it has to have meaning. I will write "Good Job" on a quiz only if they score 90% or higher.
That being said, if a student has improved from their last quiz, I will smile and say, "better" as I hand back the quiz. If, on the other hand, they have done worse or less than expected, I will write "Come see me" on the quiz. I feel it is their responsibility to follow up, but at least they know I care.
Application strenghtens what a student has learned and shows them they understand a particular concept
Positive reinforcement can make students feel more confident about what they have learned and motivate them to want to learn more.
I also believe that failure can be used as motivation. I let my students know that trying and failing is still a learning experience that will reinforce the proper way to perform the task in the future.
When they see how the quality of their work and the mistake they can make can take lifes or save lifes. We go through situations I hav experienced where I have either made a mistake or people I know have.
Hi Julie,
This is a critical part of being an instructor. By encouraging and supporting students as they progress through the course they develop confidence that they can be successful which motivates them even more.
Gary
I agree that all students need reinforcement when they are doing a good job, as well as when they may not being so well. When students are struggling or have low self esteem they may want to give up. I have seen positive reinforcement make all the difference in students attitudes.
Everyone wants to hear they are doing a good job, no matter what age they are. When you add to building positive self esteem, there are no limits to what a person can do. At so many jobs, you are only told when you do something wrong. This doesn't usually make the worker want to do better. They need to feel valued.
An instructor must highlight the students successes while downplaying their less than succesful attempts. My particular technique involves the simple, "good job", after every task completed. Given that the students have at least 20 tasks to complete by the end of class, they hear it quite often.
I enjoyed this module very much as well as the others, "there were certian issues that actually surprised me"! I have opted to only take most of my quizzes only once because I wanted to get my grades as I first taken them.
Positive reinforcement is used to assist students in learning new skills. This keeps the students engaged in the learning process. Reinforcement should be consistent in order for the students to really benefit.
Sometimes breaking down complex concepts and material and including opportunities for small "wins" or successes can go a long way to keeping the learner engaged and giving them the confidence needed to continue further. This concept can also apply to an entire course. Meaningful and constructive feedback given in a timely manner goes a long way in the retention of students.
Always praise the students when thay are doing a good job. If they make a mistake, explain to them that its not the end of the world and you will have mistakes. Tell them some of the mistakes that you made while working in the automotive field to show them that anyone can make them.
Good line of thinking and showing how we build a lesson, through all these steps. Learning about something then building technique and then doing is all good in motivating to do well.
I teach a class that is mostly theory so students can get demotivated very quickly if they do poorly on a test or dont think they are understanding the material. Any positive reinforcement from me can help them see that they can pass the class because they do understand the course even when they dont think they do. Some students are coming from backgrounds where they never got positive reinforcement so even a little from me goes a long way. Even asking the student questions to show them how much they have learned can be positive reinforcement when they answer correctly you let them know they are a geting it.
I agree. The most discouraging motivation for anyone is negative criticism. Using "constructive" criticism is extremely important when offering students any type of feedback on assignments.
