Motivating students to learn requires professors to exercise classroom leadership and to be good role models of the success of learning.

1. Rochester College
Adjunct Faculty Meeting - 2012
Stimulating Students’ Motivation To Learn
Discussion Leader & Presenter – Clarence Goodlein

2. Each Professor Is A Leader
• An Important Role Model That Contributes To
Students’ Moral, Intellectual, and Professional
Development
• Characteristics
– Is Knowledgeable Of Her/His Course Material, Self-
Confident & Deserving of Credence
– Demonstrates Honesty, Trustworthiness,
Dependability, & Unselfishness
– Demonstrates Equity & Honor
– Is Energetic & Enthusiastic About Learning, The
Course Material, & Rochester College

3. My Paradigm of Student Motivation
Motivation To Learn is An Acquired
Competency That Is Developed Through
General Experience & Stimulated By:
• Modeling
• Communication of Expectations
• Direct Instruction or Socialization By
Parents or Teachers

4. Stimulation of Students’ Motivation To
Learn
• Must Affect Development Of Students’
Information Processing Skills & Performance
Abilities
• Must Encourage Critical Thinking
• Must Consider Expectancy Value Theory
(Effort Expended = Degree Expected To
Perform Successfully & Benefits Or Rewards
From Successful Task Completion)

5. Role of Professors & Instructors
• Not Merely Reactors To Students’
Motivational Patterns of Learning
• Active Agents Of Students’ Learning
Socialization
• Capable of Developing Students’ Motivation
To Learn And Its Activation In Particular
Situations
• Must Help Students Appreciate The Value of
Academic Study & Make Sure That They Can
Be Successful If They Apply Reasonable
Effort

6. My Essential Preconditions For Stimulating
Students’ Motivation To Learn
• Supportive Learning Environment
– Encourage Students When They Display
Discouragement
– Demonstrate Patience And Empathy For Their
Learning Difficulties
– Assist Students With Correcting Related Skill
Deficiencies (e.g. Writing & Public Speaking)
– Allow Students To Take Intellectual Risks Without
Fear Of Ridicule Or Criticism Should They Be Mistaken

7. My Essential Preconditions For Stimulating
Students’ Motivation To Learn (Continued)
• Appropriate Level Of Challenge
– Students Become Bored If Tasks Are Too Easy &
Frustrated if Tasks Are Too Difficult
– Students Are Optimally Motivated By Tasks That
Allow Them To Achieve Success When They Apply
Reasonable Effort
– Learning Measures & Challenges Should Examine
Students’ Comprehension Of Core Principles &
Their Abilities To Apply Their Learning Effectively
To Situations Outside Of Their Experiences

8. My Essential Preconditions For Stimulating
Students’ Motivation To Learn (Continued)
• Meaningful Learning Objectives
– Clearly Stated And Related To Goals & Objectives
Of Course As Well As Students’ Course of Study
– Demonstrate Usefulness of Learning In Practical
Situations & Career Environments
– Communicate Meaningfulness of Learning
Through Tasks & Assignments That Demonstrate
The Learning’s Relatedness To Career Activities &
Graduate Study

9. Encourage Students To Form Success
Expectations
• Use Modeling, Socialization, And Feedback To
Make Students Aware That The Amount And
Quality Of Effort That They Put Into An Activity
Determines What They Get Out Of It
• Portray Effort As An Investment Which Will
Produce Knowledge & Skill Development That
Will Empower Students Rather Than As A Risk Of
Failure Or Embarrassment
• Remind Students That Knowledge & Skill
Development Is Incremental And Sometimes
Includes Regressive Steps

10. Provide Remedial Socialization For
Discouraged Students
• Additional Instruction & Practice
Opportunities
• Encourage Focus On Specific Mastering Of
Specific Concepts & Tasks To Overcome
Failure Through Persistent Efforts
• Attribute Failure To Insufficient Effort &
Practice , Lack Of Information, Or Reliance On
Ineffective Strategies Rather Than To Lack Of
Ability

11. Motivate Learning With Extrinsic Incentives
• Offer Rewards For Good Or Improved
Performance (e.g. Praise & Social Rewards
Such As Professor Or Peer Attention)
• Note That Knowledge & Skills Developed By
Academic Study Will Enable Students To Be
Successful In This Course, Provide A “Ticket”
To Social Advancement, And Prepare Them
For Success In An Occupation Or Otherwise In
Their Lives
• Provide Immediate Feedback When Learning
Successes Occur

12. Some Of My Classroom Practices To
Motivate Students’ Learning
• Arrive Early & Am Completely Prepared At The
Class’ Starting Time
• Am Personable, Friendly, & Greet Every Student
• Introduce Self, Provide Interesting Background
Information, And Convey Enthusiasm For the
Course And Students’ Learning
• Express Interest In Every Student By Asking Each
To Introduce Herself or Himself; Learn Every
Student’s Name By The Third Week Of Class

13. Some of My Classroom Practices To
Motivate Student Learning
(Continued)
• Provide A Detailed Syllabus, Review Each Section
During The First Class Meeting; Explain Grading,
Class Assignments, Examinations And Attendance
Expectations; Solicit Questions
• Address Questions Every Student Has, But May
Not Ask:
– Will Class Meet My Needs?
– Is The Professor Competent?
– Will The Professor Be Fair?
– Will The Professor Care About Me?

14. Some Of My Classroom Practices To
Motivate Student Learning
(Continued)
• Utilize Open-Ended Questions That Provoke
Discussion
• Use Group Activities To Promote
Collaboration Skills
• Use Videos & Role-Playing To Keep Students’
Interested
• Use Familiar Examples & Case Studies
• Solicit Feedback

15. Methods Used To Facilitate Learning
Outside of the Classroom
• Preparatory Course Readings, Syllabus, and
Discussion Outlines Emailed To Registered
Students About Two Weeks Before Class Begins
• Make Myself Available By Phone & Email With
Return Calls Or Email Normally Same Day
• Make Extensive Use Of Online Learning Site
• Allow Early Submission of Assignments For
Review, Feedback, & Resubmission By Due Date

16. Online Learning Site Content
• Basic Concepts
• Case Studies
• Glossary
• Literature Review Tips
• Essay Formatting & Writing Tips
• Sample Essays
• Course Concepts
• Weekly Discussion Outlines
• Course Concepts
• Website Links
– Software (Open Source – e.g. Libre Office, CutePDF, Evernote)
– Services (e.g. CitationMachine.Net)
– Videos (YouTube)