Applying the Science of Motivation to the College Classroom By Christina Goldsmith (reposted with permission) Photo: lil artsy on Pexels My favorite time of day is the early morning hours before the rest of the house begins to stir. I int…

By Christina Goldsmith (reposted with permission)

Photo: lil artsy on Pexels

My favorite time of day is the early morning hours before the rest of the house begins to stir. I intentionally wake up early - about 5:00 a.m. most days - and curl up with a book and a cup of coffee. I am currently reading Working Out Loud by John Stepper. The book describes the Working Out Loud (WOL) method for building meaningful relationships and achieving goals, emphasizing the importance of intrinsic motivation—autonomy, competence, and connection—to foster learning and growth. Of course, as an educator, I can't help but think about how these same principles apply to the classroom.

In the second chapter of Working Out Loud, Stepper discusses "Self Determination Theory" from Daniel H. Pink's Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Pink's research indicates that extrinsic rewards only increase motivation when the desired behavior is mechanical. Rewards, like money, only work well for simple, repetitive tasks. For cognitive tasks, extrinsic rewards can have negative results. Research shows we are more motivated by three psychological factors: autonomy, purpose, and mastery. We do our best work when we have these three key things: freedom to make choices (autonomy), a reason for doing the task (purpose), and the chance to get better at it (mastery).

This idea contradicts the principle that "if you reward something, you get more of the behavior you want; if you punish something, you get less of it" (RSA Animate). In education, this is evident in the role of grades as motivation and the use of syllabus penalties for attendance or late work. I'm not arguing against using clear and consistent policies, as these are essential to any syllabus. Nor am I making a case for un-grading. However, while extrinsic motivators like grades can encourage task completion, they may not foster genuine engagement or learner agency. Fostering intrinsic motivation is key to creating meaningful learning experiences and improved learner outcomes.

According to Stepper, "We are wired to want a sense of control, a sense of competence or progress, and a sense of connection to people as well as to a purpose. Your drive - your motivation to do something and how you feel about doing it - is based on whether or not you're meeting these psychological needs." So, how can we ensure that our students have these needs met in the classroom?

Competence & Mastery: Measuring Growth​

Photo: Akil Mazumder on Pexels

A fundamental goal of teaching is helping students recognize their progress.

Clearly defined learning objectives and rubrics with specific criteria can help students to understand what they are working towards. I've often heard the phrase that you can't hit a target if you don't know what you're aiming at. Likewise, it is hard to see your progress toward a goal or learning objective if it hasn't been clearly identified. 

Providing specific criteria in a rubric helps students understand the expectations for achieving that learning objective and what mastery looks like. Rubrics can also help students to identify particular areas for improvement and track their progress over time.

Two of my favorite activities help students reflect on their growth at the end of the semester. The first asks students to reflect on their writing diagnostic from the first week of classes. Students read and annotate a printed copy of their own writing, noting areas for improvement that they see now and didn't see before. Students also develop a reflective portfolio. They locate samples of their writing to demonstrate their achievement of each course learning outcome. Each of these activities allows students to see their growth toward mastery of the course learning outcomes over the semester.

Autonomy: Encouraging Choice

Giving students autonomy in their learning also fosters motivation and student agency. In composition courses, this can be achieved by allowing students to select their essay topics, choose from various readings, and engage with instructional materials in ways that suit their learning preferences. 

In my courses, I allow my ENG101 students to choose a speech or monologue from a favorite movie to conduct a rhetorical analysis. In ENG102, I provide a selection of writing and novels for students to choose from for their literary analysis rather than having one assigned text for the whole class. 

Designing a course with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in mind allows students to decide how they engage with course content and demonstrate understanding. For courses, such as composition, which require written assessments, it can seem as though UDL doesn't have a place. UDL clearly states that when a learning objective is the assessment, a choice should not be provided. In composition, students have to write essays. However, I can offer choices in how students engage with content and complete other activities. Would they prefer to listen to a recorded lecture or read a transcript? Do they want to record their feedback on their peer's writing or annotate their peer's writing? 

​By offering these choices, students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning in ways that align with their interests, strengths, and preferences. This autonomy fosters motivation by allowing students to have a voice over their educational experience.

​Connection: Building Community

Stepper emphasizes that relatedness is crucial for motivation. Likewise, a sense of community in the classroom enhances student learning and engagement. Collaboration with peers through peer review, group discussions, and collaborative activities creates meaningful connections. 

Photo: Ingo Joseph on Pexels 

I like to use the groups feature in our Canvas LMS to put my students into reading or writing groups. This allows them to work in small groups, collaborating on their reading or writing, and fosters a more significant connection with their peers. One activity I use includes small reading groups in ENG102. Students use digital tools to complete collaborative annotations analyzing various short stories. By working together to annotate and interpret the stories, they gain multiple perspectives that deepen their understanding. Later, students select one of the stories to write a literary analysis. Because of the previous collaborative work, they have already built a strong foundation of ideas. They must also cite at least two of their peer's annotations for their analysis. By incorporating their peers' annotations into their analysis, students feel more connected to the material and each other by contributing to each other's work and a common goal.

Collaboration deepens students' understanding of the course material and strengthens their sense of belonging in the class. Working together toward a common goal makes students feel connected to their peers and the learning process. In turn, they are more engaged and motivated.

​Purpose: Making Learning Relevant

Students are more motivated when they see the relevance of their work by engaging in topics that are important to them and have real-world implications. Some of our ENG101 courses are structured around a theme of community. Students identify a community they feel a part of — whether related to hobbies, organizations, or cultural groups - and research and write about issues that matter to them. 

Additionally, utilizing open pedagogy practices encourages students to actively participate in creating and sharing knowledge rather than passively receiving information. This also promotes socio-cultural diversity in the curriculum as students can share their unique perspectives and experiences. In ENG101, as students research their communities, they contribute to a shared writing guide as they reflect on their growth as writers, allowing them to contribute their experiences throughout the course to a renewable resource that will be accessible to future ENG101 students. This connection to their experiences and the broader learning community boosts their motivation, as they understand that their insights are valuable and can help others.

​Fostering motivation in the classroom is not about incentivizing students to participate and complete all of their assignments but about creating meaningful learning experiences. We foster motivation and engagement by allowing students to make choices, reflect on their progress, collaborate with their peers, and engage in meaningful, relevant tasks. This enhances their learning experience and empowers them to take ownership of their growth. Ultimately, when students feel a sense of control, see the purpose in their work, and recognize their contributions as valuable, they are more likely to be motivated, engaged, and successful.

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