Design of learning activities
The likelihood that a student will become engaged and persevere in any new learning task is influenced by several key factors of the learning process itself:
1.The perceived level of difficulty the task presents in relation to the student’s perceived capabilities. A student who finds the learning of the task to be too difficult for them to accomplish successfully is unlikely to become very engaged in its acquisition.
2.The extent to which the task is appropriate to the cognitive “style” of the student. Recent research has highlighted that students bring different learning styles to the acquisition of new material. Thus, the way in which instruction is designed can play a have significant impact on the ability of students to actively engage in it.
3.The perceived expectations that others place on the student’s success. When the student perceives that others are convinced of their success, their motivation and self-confidence and motivation increase thus resulting in active engagement
4.The perceived relevance of the task to the subject matter. Student engagement increases when the material is perceived as personally relevant. New information may be perceived as immediately useful or valuable toward obtainment of a future goal such as advancement to the next grade level. Of course, younger students have difficulty internalizing and acting upon future goals so that engagement will be based on rewards which provide immediate gratification.
5.Whether the task is structured in such a way as to actively engage the learner. Lectures, videos, and demonstrations are passive methods of instruction and, as such, students become passive learners and may disconnect from the lesson. Alternatively, a variety of instructional strategies— such as role play, drama, the Socratic method, grouping to complete tasks—actively involve students in the process and thus instill a high level of engagement.
6.Whether the student perceives the task and inherently enjoyable. With the traditional core curriculum of most school systems, it is natural that students will gravitate more toward some subjects than others—for example, literature, history or, arts as opposed to science or mathematics. However, using the theories of multiple intelligences and brain-based learning, even those less appealing subjects can be made “fun” by allowing students to engage in the material via their preferred modality. Almost any parent can also testify to the enjoyment their children derive from computer-based games. The goal of many educational initiatives in recent times has been to harness the use of technology toward school-based learning.
7.The amount of time that can be devoted to working on the task. The time-on-task that any student is able to devote to learning the new material is of critical importance. Even the most motivated and engaged student will not successfully master a new task unless sufficient time is devoted to its acquisition. This point takes on special significance when one considers how the school-day is structured in most districts. |
