learning and motivation unit three (week 14)

Grit \n Interest

  • what has the role of interest been in what you do extracurricularly
      * not a lot of effort put into joining clubs and stuff
      * crocheting - not very good but still work hard
      * always looking for new projects that you can successfully complete
      * prioritize, spend more time, doesn’t feel like work
      * how did this develop?
        * wanted to make the harry styles sweater for anielle
        * under quarantine and bored
  • interest:
      * both a cognitive and affective motivational variable (there’s a thinking and emotional aspect)
      * experienced-based
      * not age-related
      * always content-specific - not general
      * conceptualized as the interaction between a person and specific content
      * associated with increased learning, positive affect, persistence, and goals
  • four-phase model of interest development
      * describes how interest evolves from situational to individual
      * person and task variables
      * learner’s wants and needs
  • two types of interest
      * situation: what triggers interest
        * fleeting
        * happens early on in the process
        * elicited by environmental aspects
          * human activity or life themes
            * life themes: things all humans are sparked by like challenges, feedbacks, social interaction
          * features (ex: the ways tasks are organized / presented)
        * how to maintain?
        * affect is most important (this is the fuel of interest)
      * individual
        * what happens next
        * moves from being a property of the situation to a property of the individual
        * relatively enduring tendency of an individual to engage in a particular activity, topic, or object
        * value and curiosity is most important
  • phase one: triggered situational
      * properties of the person: 
        * surprise
        * character identification
        * personal relevance
        * intensity
      * properties of the task / activity: 
        * group work / collaboration
        * puzzles (instigates curiosity)
        * computers
      * learners 
        * attend fleetingly
        * need support to engage
        * affect is positive or negative
        * not necessarily aware
      * learners want
        * ideas respected
        * directions
      * learners need
        * effort appreciated
        * concrete suggestions (people structuring and encouraging interest)
  • phase two: maintained situational
      * properties of the person
        * meaningfulness of task
        * personal involvement
      * properties of the task
        * project-based learning: especially with a long horizon, sustains interest
        * cooperative group work / social interactions and feedback
        * 1-on-1 tutoring: interested, want to persevere
  • phase three: emerging individual
      * properties of the person
        * positive feelings
        * value
        * knowledge
        * sense of effortlessness
        * chooses to engage with the content
        * generates curiosity questions
        * defines tasks for self
        * exceeds requirements
        * is resourceful when challenges arise
      * learners
        * independently re-engage 
        * curiosity
        * seek answers
      * learners want
        * ideas respected
        * to express their ideas
        * not to be told what to do (don’t need external interests)
      * learners need
        * to feel ideas and goals are understood and efforts are appreciated
        * feedback that enables them to meet goals
  • phase four: well-developed individual
      * properties of the person
        * positive feelings
        * relatively more value and knowledge
        * sense of effortlessness
        * anticipates subsequent steps
        * uses deep strategies
        * uses contextual and conditional knowledge when problem solving
        * engages in long-term creative and constructive endeavors
      * persists in the face of challenges
      * seeking opportunities for engagement and interest supersedes potential frustrations
  • learners:
      * self-regulate / persist
      * recognize discipline
  • learners want:
      * information / feedback
      * balance personal standards with discipline
  • learners need
      * constructive feedback
      * feel ideas and goals are understood

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