分配格式化任务ASSIGNMENT TASK:有关学生学习的机动性

 

在下面的页面是一个简短的文章有关的方法来提高学生的学习动机。这是作为一个Word文档，这样您就可以进行更正的文件。您需要重新格式化，使其符合ECU分配列报准则的文章

How to Complete this Task

 

On the following pages is a brief essay about methods to increase student motivation.  It is presented as a Word document so that you can make corrections to the document.  You need to reformat the essay so that it conforms to ECU assignment presentation guidelines.  The general guidelines may be slightly different to those recommended by some lecturers at ECU.  Therefore, it is important to check with lecturers for their preferences.  The specific guidelines are followed by all lecturers as they conform to the requirements for assignments given in the ECU Referencing Guide.

 

YOU MUST READ ALL GUIDELINES CAREFULLY.

 

 

 

General Guidelines

 

Margins. Use margins of 2.5 cm on the left and 2 cm on the right, top and bottom.

Font.  Use Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial.

Headers.  In the header section, put your name, the assignment task and your student number.

Footers.  In the footer section, put the page number in the centre of the page.

Headings.  Do not use long headings.  Do not leave headings on one page if the related text begins on the next page.

Spacing.  It is strongly recommended you use the “Show/Hide” function (it looks like a backwards-facing P) found in the toolbar so that you can “see” the spaces on the computer screen.

 

 

 

Specific Guidelines

 

Referencing.  Use the in-text and end-text referencing styles given in the ECU Referencing Guide.  If you do not have all of the details on the following pages, you will have to do some research to find all of the required details.

Headings.  Use the heading styles given in the “Essay Formatting Guide” handout. 

Spacing.  Double space all lines.  At the end of paragraphs, use the return key 2 times.

References page.  Use a separate page for this at the end of the assignment. References should be single-spaced.  Use the return key 2 times between references.#p#分页标题#e#

 

 

 

Submission

 

Print out the finished document and bring it to class for discussion.

 

Introduction

 

Background

The issue of student motivation is of major importance in a society where the methods of knowledge transfer are changing.  Under older models of learning; the so-called “transmission teaching” model, learners were expected to absorb information from their teachers and reproduce that information verbatim in tests and assignments.  This style of teaching and learning was suitable during the past as new knowledge was created more slowly than it is today.  Current methods of learning; variously described as “collaborative learning”, “interactive learning” or “critical learning”; have shifted the emphasis and responsibility for learning onto the student, with the teacher becoming a facilitator and coordinator of learning.  These methods have made the learning of new information more efficient, but only when the students are motivated to take an active role in the teaching learning process. According to Oppenheimer (2001), motivation can be measured by evaluating students’ participation in the classroom.  Furthermore, Oppenheimer claims that as students’ participation in the class increases, so do their exam scores.  Therefore, the teaching-learning process becomes one in which the facilitator (teacher) has the task of deciding whether student participation is at optimal levels in order to enable optimal learning.  As a result, the teacher must ensure students are properly motivated.  The main concern of this assignment is to determine how to best motivate learners so that optimal learning takes place.

 

Definition

Student motivation. The ability and willingness of students to become involved in the teaching-learning process.

Student.The assignment will focus on students in post-secondary courses.

 

Outline and Limitations

The assignment will discuss methods that can be used to encourage students to become more involved in the teaching-learning process at post-secondary levels. The assignment will conclude with an evaluation of the most effective method.

 

Motivation Methods

 

Breen and Lindsay (1999) describe intrinsic motivation as “learning for its own sake”.  Furthermore, they state that motivation can be “evaluated as ‘high’ and ‘low’ depending on the value placed on that goal and the extent to which a person receives satisfaction from attaining it”.  According to Taylor, [cited in Breen and Lindsay (1999)], it is very important for post-secondary students to achieve their personal goals in order to be continually motivated.  The methods by which facilitators can increase intrinsic motivation are outlined in this section.#p#分页标题#e#

 

Oppenheimer’s Process-Oriented Model

A “process-oriented model of motivation” proposed by Dornyei (2000) involves the dividing up of a goal into sub-goals and a time frame for achieving each sub-goal.  Therefore, the learner can be continually and consistently highly motivated towards the achievement of the overall goal.  For example, a unit of study at university can be divided up into tasks according to assignments, reading of book chapters and exam preparation.  Achievement of each sub-goal (the tasks) according to the pre-determined time limits will, it is believed, lead to greater and continuing motivation.  Furthermore, the unit itself is a sub-goal of the overall course.  As a result, the completion of a unit becomes the motivation for completion and success in the next unit.

 

Lewin’s “Unfreezing,Change,and Refreezing” Model

One of the problems involved with Dornyei’s approach, according to Oppenheimer (2001), is that the learner will not necessarily be motivated to complete the goals.  He claims that this is because achieving goals “may also mean having to change or do things that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable”.  Oppenheimer applies a model developed by Lewin referred to as the “unfreezing, change, and refreezing” model of change.  According to this model, the unmotivated student is unmotivated (frozen in action). The learner needs to be made dissatisfied with their current situation in order to become motivated (unfrozen) before any change can take place.  Once the change has happened and positive feedback has been received, refreezing (in which new, positive behaviours are continued) occurs.  Oppenheimer used questionnaires in an experiment which increased his students’ self awareness of themselves and their current situation and directed them towards what would increase their satisfaction.  He found, among many other factors, that the behaviours of importance to the teacher (such as class participation) were not of any great importance to the learners; however, by making changes in the behaviours that were important to the students (such as reviewing course material), their exam grades did improve.  

 

Rauch and Fillenworth’s Counselling Approach

However, according to Rauch and Fillenworth (1995, p. 568), it is important for any degree of change to be met with a similar degree of change in positive outcomes.  If a student makes a change in learning style but is rewarded with a small improvement in exam grades, the student will revert to the previous, possibly unreliable, behaviours.  Therefore, some guidance must be necessary so that appropriate changes in behaviour are made initially.  Rauch and Fillenworth (p. 568) suggest 10 methods that can help to guide students in their choices, but following their strategy can be problematic.  This is because any change or guidance suggested by the teacher which is acted on by the student may not be successful in terms of the outcomes desired by the student.  Therefore, the facilitator, acting as a guide or counsellor, becomes partially responsible for the failure of their student to not meet their desired outcome.#p#分页标题#e#

 

It can be argued that in the experience of Oppenheimer, the use of an end-of-course exam played a part in motivating his students; however, the use of exams does not appear to play any great role in the motivation of students.  If they did, there would be no need to change teaching-learning methods; teachers would just introduce more tests.  Providing more guidance, as proposed by Rauch and Fillenworth can be very risky for the teacher, and having few course aims of the types that Dornyei proposes a course is broken into will not lead to the development of motivation.  In order to deal with these issues, a combination of these methods needs to be implemented.

 

Doyon’s Empowerment and Engagement, Learned Helplessness, Compliance and Defiance, Resistance, Reciprocity, Control, Intrinsic Motivation and Psychoacademic Needs Model

Doyon (2002) describes experiences with what appeared to be highly unmotivated Japanese learners of English.  In the method described by Doyon, the learners were given choices in their learning.  As a result of being given choices, some of which involved the teacher relinquishing his control of the class, the students became empowered and had to take charge of their own learning.  As a result, the students became more satisfied and therefore, more motivated.  Similar ideas are presented by Hootstein (1994, p. 216).  In these models, it appears that the teacher is acting as a counsellor as in Rauch and Fillenworth’s model, but the students are still responsible for their own choices.  Ironically, it appears that in order to give the learners more control of their learning, the facilitator has to become more involved in the teaching of the class.  

 

Conclusion

 

The issue of how to best motivate students is still unresolved.  It would appear that giving students greater autonomy to determine their own needs and then setting out to achieve them is the most suitable procedure to follow, however the overarching requirements of a curriculum, unit, or course of study need to be taken into account.  How students are guided towards making appropriate choices that lead to further motivation to study is the key point.  Oppenheimer’s method of directed questioning appears to be the best method of approaching this problem and deserves further exploration.

Reference

 

Edward W. Hootstein

Motivating Students to Learn

The Clearing House March/April 1994 Vol. 67, No. 4

pp. 213-216

 

Zoltan Dornyei

Motivation in Action: Towards a process-oriented conceptualisation of student motivation

The British Journal of Educational Psychology Dec 2000

Leicester

 

Margaret Rauch and Ceil Fillenworth#p#分页标题#e#

Motivating Students to Use Newly Learned Study Strategies

Journal of Reading 38:7 April 1995

Pp567-568

 

Paul Doyon

Enhancing Value Perception in the Japanese EFL Classroom

Asian Efl Teaching Articles-The Japanese EFL Classroom

file:///Cl/website/march03.sub5b.htm

18 April 2003

Accessed 23 May 2003

 

Robert J. Oppenheimer

Increasing Student Motivation and Facitlitating Learning

College Teaching Summer 2001

Washington

 

Rosanna Breen and Roger Lindsay

Academic Research and Student Motivation

Studies in Higher Education March 1999

Abingdon