Day 21: Motivation and Interest Flashcards
(Problem Solving continued) Well-Defined vs. Ill-Defined
Well-Defined problems
- Clear goals
- Only one correct solution
- Structure procedures for reaching a solution
- All information is specified
Ill-Defined problems
- Ambiguous goals
- More than one solution
- No generally agreed-upon strategy for reaching a solution
- One or more features of the problem are not specified or are ambiguous
Well-Structured Problem-Solving Process
- Identify the problem goal
- Represent the problem
- Select a strategy
- Implement the strategy
- Evaluate the results
Problem-Solving Paradox
- School tends to teach well-defined problems
- In real life we face problems related to money, careers, social relationships, and happiness that are ill-defined
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) (Cindy Hmelo-Silver)
Active approach to learning in which learners collaborate in understanding and solving complex, ill-structured problems
PBL Example
(The Mr. Ho example)
In Summary
Problem solving is a complex process, but it is the foundation of learning and functioning in the world
- Ill-structured vs. well-structured
- In real world problems, there are well-structured pieces to ill structured problems
- Problem solving is a very specific form of transfer
- It’s goal directed, with a specific end in mind
Definition of Motivation
An internal state that arouses us to action, pushes us in particular directions, and keeps us engaged in certain activities
Why motivate?
Initiation, Intensity, and Persistence all increase
Motivation affects…
Cognition
What motivates you?
External
- Awards, rewards
- Money, payment
- Food
- Praise
- Grades (good or bad)
- Status, approval
- Health, mental health
- Environment/Context
- Exciting, novel, challenging
Internal
- Personality
- Enjoyment
- Perceived ability
- Mastery
- Goals
- Faith
- Pride
- Growth
- Identity
Types of motivation sources
Extrinsic and Intrinsic
Extrinsic Motivation
An environmentally created reason to engage in an action or activity
- “DO this in order to get THAT” type of motivation
Intrinsic Motivation
The inherent desire to engage in an activity and to exercise and develop one’s capacities
- “I’m DOING THIS because IT is…” type of motivation
Paying for Motivation?
“It is easy to get people to do things by paying them if you’ve got enough money and they’ve got the necessary skills, but they will keep doing it only as long as you keep paying them.”
- Edward Deci
The role of extrinsic motivation
Amotivation -> Extrinsic Motivation -> Intrinsic Motivation
Why do we want to increase intrinsic motivation?
- Better conceptual understanding and quality of learning
- Greater creativity
- Optimal functioning and well-being
Why might we want to avoid extrinsic motivation?
- Lower performance quality
- Interference with learning process
- May undermine future autonomous self-regulation
What Hurts Motivation?
- Prescribing all task and micromanaging
- Rewarding for engaging in tasks that are already intrinsically motivating
Situated Motivation
Motivation is partly a function of the learning environment
- Factors can have an effect
- Instructional materials
- Relationship with teachers
- Evaluation methods
How to motivate?
The proper question is NOT, ‘How can people motivate others?’, but rather, ‘How can people create the conditions within which others will motivate themselves?’
Interest?
- What is the difference?
- Interest
- Psychological state characterized by effort, attention, and affect (Situational Interest)
- A pre-disposition to re-engage with certain content (Individual Interest)
- Motivation
- An internal state that arouse us to action, pushes us in particular directions, and keeps us engaged in certain activities
Situational Interest
- A psychological state
- Affective
- Positive feelings
- Cognitive qualities
- Perceived Value
- Attention
Individual Interest
- Stable predisposition or preference for specific content
- Affective
- Deepened positive feelings
- Cognitive qualities
- Stored value
- Stored knowledge
How to develop individual interest
Social Influences
Exposure -> Attention (Triggered situational interest) -> Needs and Goals Met (Maintained Situational interest, Emerging individual interest) -> Well-developed individual interest
Why interest
Support for interest increases
- Motivation
- Engagement
- Learning
- Future Re-engagement
Specific Interventions to promote interest
Triggering interest
- Structural features
- Context personalization
Maintaining Situational Interest
- Personal importance
- Utility-Value
Individual Interest
- Challenge
- Autonomy
- Strategic Support
