Hi Mark,
This is a really good strategy. The catching students doing something right and letting them know it shows that they are making progress in their development. Since through casual observation you have been able to see doing something right and then letting them know it. This is a great motivator.
Gary
Hi Andrea,
Good point about how feedback should be given. Feedback should be a building process so the students can see how improvement can be made and what the steps are to make the improvement. This gives them a plan and helps to keep them engaged in the learning process.
Gary
All of us feel good when we are recognized for demonstrating expertise and knowledge. In a learning environment, it is no different. As often as I can, I try to catch students doing things right and celebrating it appropriately.
This makes them and fellow classmates strive for future successes and therefore work even harder to excel.
The old adage of "If at first you don't suceed, try, try, try again" can be a motivation for students who struggle with a concept or application. With an instructor's guidance and encouragement they can practice and will eventually improve to a level way above their first attempt. Students must realise that practice is an important part of reinforcing their retention and transference.
Reinforcement needs to follow the behavior quickly and be appropriate. Reinforcement, if not done, is unacceptable. Ignoring is condoning. And, giving feedback in a way that is building is appropriate. "Criticism" is the counter of building students up and is not appropriate. Students should get feedback and it should be framed up as information.
Hi Dennis,
This is a great game. Thanks for sharing it with us. This can be used in any setting to get all of the students thinking about how they will "brand" themselves as they get ready to enter the work place. The key is answering the question "who would want to hire you and why?".
Gary
Reinforcement is very important for motivation. If students don't know where they stand in a course or receive any feedback as to how they are doing, it will be difficult to keep them motivated. Even if a student gets a poor start in a course, providing them with feedback that is motivating and useful will help get them on the right track.
If you respond in a positive way to students ideas, it will show students that their input is valid to the subject matterial and they will see they are on track with the class and it will give them confidence. I play a game who would you hire in class? The presmise is we are all working in the same department and some one is going to get a bonus or a raise. I am the boss who would I give the bonus to? Why? This is pretty good because the silent student sees he must compete a little to get ahead. Surprising the students get into this thinking and see that you must show your mastership of the knowledge we are gaining in class.
Reinforcement is feedback. When we have feedback, we are motivated to either continue our actions or do better. It is when we do not know how we are performing that we lose interest or stop caring. Reinforcement is also communication which connects the student even more to the class/instructor/school. When that connection is strong, the increased chance for success.
I have the students play team games and the team that is unable to fix or come up with the answer to the challenge, have to create a sceanario that will help them to come up with questions that will help solve the challenge. the other teams are also invited to do the same for each other. i find that by them making the mistake and then comming up with a workable solution motivates them to get the challenge right the first time.
Linda,
Yes, your techniques are right on the mark! I remember the instructors that neglected giving my grades until the class was half over - not a wonderful memory. I make a point of grading the day after their work is due, stresses the point to the student the importance of getting their work done on time.
Students need a lot of reinforcement in order to be successful and in order to assure retention. This reinforcement might include: instant feedback when students respond to questions (that is, an indication that the instructor is listening and that the response is on target), quick turnaround of graded assignments so students know where they stand and so that they can improve on the next assignment, and acknowledgement when the student or the group has reached a milestone in the course. These techniques will motivate students to move to the next level and to stay in school.
Positive reinforcement allows the student to move forward in thier training with pride and confidence.
The flip side of postive reinforcement is pointing out how the student can improve. This technique motivates students to work better and level up their skill set.
By reinforcement of the subject matter the student can see that they are learning the material.Reinforcement can be done in a postivie manner by using gamesas the reinforcement tool.
Hi Robert,
Right you are about encouragement. We all have students that we have to look hard for something positive to comment on. What I try to do is find that one thing I can make positive comments about and then outline what the student has to do in order to make improvement on the other areas. I show him/her the specifics of how they can improve their performance so they leave our session with a plan of action for improvement.
Gary
When students get positive reinforcement (good scores on tests, comments about questions) they feel good and want to continue to do well. Not only do they want to do well for themselves, but also for the instructor. The tough part is trying to be positive when the scores or work is not very good. Whenever posible, it is important to offer some glimmer of encouragement with something positive for these students. If they never get anything positive from the instructor, they may give up.
I use repitition as a tool to reinforce learning and motivate my students. The courses I teach are quantitative and require the student to practice in order to internalize the steps in solving the problem. I also offer tutoring sessions to students struggling with the material. I find that students are motivated when faculty are willing to tutor them outside of the classroom environment.
Reinforcement can be a very strong motivator when demonstrated effectively. I use my own past experiences, and failures when lecturing or demonstrating the concepts of the lesson. I also ask the students to think of an experience or a failure and relate it to the lesson concept. This communication to students helps them see how the information they are learning can be used not just in their work but also in their day to day lives to succeed.
Students are typically motivated when they recieved graded and non graded work back with encouraged commentaries and feedback in a timely manor. A teaching strategy that includes the basic fundamentals of success through proper performance modeled by your instructor, will further assist you in reaching your student body through many varing learning styles. Reinforcement by building confidence in new learning abilities, motivating by increasing the hunger to learn more and more
