Turning IDEA Feedback into Ideal Learning Environments

No matter your pedagogical choice, the act of educating is not something you do “to” students; it’s something you do “with” students.

Dr. Ed Nuhfer

Director, Center for Educational EffectivenessHumboldt State University

The plan for this workshop . . .

Some brief set up work

A bunch of our time working in small groups

Debrief all together

Fostering Student Motivation

Two IDEA student survey questions –

Describe the frequency of your instructor’s teaching procedures (responses - hardly ever, occasionally, sometimes, frequently, always)

Fostering Student Motivation

Two IDEA student survey questions –

Describe the frequency of your instructor’s teaching procedures (responses - hardly ever, occasionally, sometimes, frequently, always)

◦ #8: Stimulated students to intellectual effort beyond that required by most courses

◦ #15: Inspired students to set and achieve goals which really challenged them

Fostering Student Motivation

The motivation spectrum

Extrinsic - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Intrinsic

The Nuances of Motivation

The motivation spectrum

Extrinsic - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Intrinsic

Rarely is motivation entirely one or the other◦ People with higher life satisfaction are more able

to turn extrinsic motivations into intrinsic motivations

Extrinsic - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Intrinsic

The Nuances of Motivation

We are talking about “stimulating” and “inspiring” students to act and think in a certain way about their efforts◦ This is not the same as “requiring” or

“compelling” them to complete a task

Framing Today’s Work

We are talking about “stimulating” and “inspiring” students to act and think in a certain way about their efforts◦ This is not the same as “requiring” or

“compelling” them to complete a task

We are talking about optimizing learning conditions◦ This is about a dynamic environment◦ It’s a function of design and delivery

Framing Today’s Work

No matter your approach to teaching, these conditions are necessary to increase student motivation and lead to higher intellectual effort and setting and achieving goals.

1. Do your students trust you as their learning guide?

It’s Not Really About Pedagogy

No matter your approach to teaching, these conditions are necessary to increase student motivation and lead to higher intellectual effort and setting and achieving goals.

1. Do your students trust you as their learning guide?

2. Can your students clearly describe your expectations? Do they know what success looks like? Can they use your feedback to improve?

It’s Not Really About Pedagogy

No matter your approach to teaching, these conditions are necessary to increase student motivation and lead to higher intellectual effort and setting and achieving goals.

3. Are your students emotionally invested in learning what you are teaching in the course?

It’s Not Really About Pedagogy

No matter your approach to teaching, these conditions are necessary to increase student motivation and lead to higher intellectual effort and setting and achieving goals.

3. Are your students emotionally invested in learning what you are teaching in the course?

4. Do your students see a viable path to meeting your learning goals for the course?

It’s Not Really About Pedagogy

Setting up our small group work

Four questions to discuss within your small groups. For each question:

◦ First, you will address the question in your small groups

◦ Second, I’ll touch on some things that seem to be effective for that question

◦ Third, you will think about ways of applying these ideas to your activity in your small groups

Setting up our small group work

Getting to know each other . . .

Explain to each other the activity or portion of your course that you want to think about during this workshop

◦ What is its role in the course?◦ What do you like about it?◦ What concerns you about it?

Setting up our small group work

Specifically, what do you do and/or say that increases your students’ trust in you as you guide them through the learning of this particular activity or portion of the course?

Question #1

Students need to know that you:

Care for them as people Believe in their ability to succeed Will try to adapt your efforts to help them learn Will teach them what they need to know

Cultivating Trust

Specifically, what do you do and/or say to clearly articulate the nature of your expectations, the way that students can demonstrate that they have met them, and the way in which you will assess their efforts?

Question #2

Students need:

More than just a spoken treatise on expectations

Some ways that are effective in communicating . . .

Rubrics, Examples of prior work Feedback designed to guide future improvement Students’ experience that you play by your own rules

Expectations and Feedback

Specifically, what do you do and/or say to help students emotionally invest in learning during your chosen activity or portion of the course?

Question #3

Students need to know:

How the learning gained in this class can improve the student’s quality of life

The implications of learning new skills and knowledge

The value of learning to learn

Fostering Emotional Investment

Specifically, what do you do and/or say to show students a viable pathway from the beginning of the activity or portion of the course to its successful completion?

Question #4

Students need to know:

That there is a viable, step-by-step process through the learning experience

That each step flows from the last and sets up the next

That the learning from each step sets up success in other parts of the activity or portions of the course

Seeing the Path to Achievement

Based on these conversations, what are one or two ideas that you think might best improve your activity or course?

Use each other’s expertise to brainstorm or evaluate together.

Thinking about your work, part 2

None of this is foolproof

Its all about likelihoods, not certainty

Learning environments are dynamic and need consistent attention

Your small group doesn’t have to end today!

Some final thoughts