Good idea. Going to use this for my classes. The students almost always find it interesting when you can pull away from the key topic and can break that up with useful anecdotes.
When we bring real life stories of successes that they can identify with; that helps them to increase their efforts in overcoming whatever obstacles come their way. Also when they can start applying what they have learned and when they see the difference they can make in other people's lives. Those are real effective motivation techniques.
I think when you can relate the information to real life scenerios and to past courses that the student has taken they begin to see how their schooling is preparing them for their chosen field. This can be very effective at motivating the student.
Allowing students to share their experiences does motivate them and their classmates. It makes them feel apart of the class. I love to hear stories from my students. I learn so much from them.
Helping a student determine their own motivation is what can make for a successful class. We spend time during the first week helping students get to know one another, working at learning and knowing something about each student and helping each see the relevance of course content to what is covered per the syllabus to their chosen career. It's also helpful to have Career Services into the classrooms early to begin to connect course content to careers. This spurs motivation and gets them thinking sooner rather than later about their chosen career path. Helping them keep their "eye on the prize" from beginning to end helps maintain and sustain motivation.
An effective motivation technique would be connecting to the student and showing how the course will help them in college and in the workplace. If the student can see how the course will help them meet the goal of earning their degree and getting a better job is helpful. The key is connecting to the student at the beginning of the course. Then show them how to succeed in the class. This can be achieved by taking time in class to answer questions and letting them know your office hours.
Hi Holly,
I like this approach to attendance. It is clear with rewards for being there and participating. I use a similar format. I call the points the students earn, professional points but the intent is the same as yours--keep the students in school.
As for midterm absences or trying to engage those students that have already been absent in excess of the allow times this is a hard one.
We have individual appointments with each student and try to learn how we can be supportive and what is going on in their lives that causes the absences. What we have found is that very few of these students are retained because they have created a failure trail for themselves and it is easy for them to continue to miss rather than be disciplined enough to come to school each day.
Gary
Great motivator we use is called the Attendance Incentive. It workas as follows:
Dear Student:
This course offers a special incentive for attendance. The program works as follows:
Each student will receive ten (5) points toward their final exam grade for each date of attendance.
In order to receive the credit, you must:
1. Arrive in class on time.
2. Leave Class at the designated time as stated by the instructor.
3. Actively participate in class projects and discussions.
DO NOT make appointments that coincide with class time (including Financial Aid, Student Services, or other campus departments). Being late to class or absent for this reason will result in the loss of credit for that class day.
NOTE: Please do not make doctor, dentist, DSS, or other service appointments during class time. If you must, documentation and communication with me, your instructor, is necessary. No exceptions.
You must be physically present in the class to receive your credit. No partial credit will be given for any reason.
Studnets signa nd date it like a contract asfter we fill in course specific information. THis was created by a colleague who has studnets running to be on time for her class to get this bonus. We all strated using it this quarter and it does work for most students.
We do notice that at midterm, there are some studnets who have allready exceeded the absences. They are still hard to motivate. DOes anyone have any midterm strategies that have proven effective?
In accelerated programs students lose their motivation because they don't realize how much they are learning. They fall into the trap of feeling that if they have mastered a skill it must be easy. I counter this by having each student talk about what they learned that day or that week.
Having an "open" classroom environment that fosters energy and participation is the key.
Motivation should be on a personal and professional level. Involving students in the class instruction process is one way to draw students into the content and motivate them to succeed. One way to do so is to have students group together to teach a lesson and then compliment them on their efforts and presentation while offering opportunities to discuss what has been learned.
Steve,
There are many good examples in Monty's "Holy Grail" applicaple to many different clesses. Good posting!
John
I use personal examples to show the students I am not so different from them. I use examples from business and life to develope a learning relationship with the students that they can apply to their own situation.
I find that usuing personal career experiences helps anchor learning moments in student's memories.
Telling stories from my past career experiences and linking it to a specific learning situation anchors that learning moment in student's memories.
I find this is true. After finishing my course many students will later come up to me and recall, not so much the material, but the story of how the technique was related to my work place environment.
The technique that I use most often is relevancy. If the content is relevant to student career goals, most students will feel motivated to learn and retain the material.
The other technique that I find motivates students is to engage their life experiences. If students can use their experiences to solve course problems or add value to lectures, they feel empowered and that they aren't just another number.
Hi Steven,
You make a number of good points. Your use of different examples make the class fun and engaging. This is a great way to build a connection between a foundational course and how it will help them in their career field at a later date.
Gary
In an English writing class it is imperative that one be prepared to motivate. Most students come to the experience thinking of their high school English class and how boring it was. I will share from my personal motivation archive. I start every class with a humorous headline or fact, e.g., I usually present a detailed picture of the Tata Nano vehicle. It is an auto made in India that is absurdly small and cheap. This is an effort on my part (hopefully in a fun way) to get them to recognize the use of design in writing …the use of headings, bold type, etc.
Another motivation technique is an updated version of the Little Engine That Could. I will play the short video clip of the black knight from the movie “Monty Python and Holy Grail.†The knight never gives up despite losing all of his limbs in a sword fight. Students must persevere.
i agree with what you think it is different to try to teach some subject that a students know nothing about
