Example of a Good Refection: This post would receive an (A) grade.
The assignment (from another course) was to reflection on a set of readings that delved into the concept of motivation theory and how it feeds into learning and designing a set of instruction:
My first ah-ha moments came in the first few paragraphs I read about motivation. The simple definition covers most of the basics of motivation. Before reading this I would have said that motivation is something that causes a person to act. This definition more specifically defined it as a need, want, interest, or desire that propels someone in a certain direction. I like the use of the word propel. It seems more forceful than just cause and effect or moving in a direction. It implies there is some urgency or impetus behind it. The inclusion of the words need, want, interest or desire reminds us that motivation comes in many forms. And what about the question: “Are humans the only type of living organism that can have motivation?” Was that a trick question? The definition used the word organism. I was also impressed by all the motivation theories listed here. I have read about and understand the instinct, drive, and incentive theories of motivation. I truly believe the sociobiology “survival of the fittest” theory applies more to animals than humans. Maslow’s need hierarchy seems to be a reasonable condition for motivation, but it doesn’t really explain motivation. I’m not sure why it’s included in this section. Motivation is definitely a necessary but insufficient condition for learning. The ARCS model is defined slightly differently in different places. Attention and relevance seem consistent. The CS are either challenge/success or confidence/satisfaction. These ideas are very similar but not quite the same.
I’m a little disappointed that my pet motivation theory was not listed here. I researched this one for a previous class and found it quite meaningful to me. It is attributed to Feather and states that motivation is equal to expectancy x value. This is multiplication, not addition. This means that both expectancy and value must be present for motivation to be present. I always try to keep these two ideas in mind when planning any type of instruction. The learner must see some value in the instruction or there will be no motivation. I always try to include something in my introduction about WHY we are studying this. The learner must also expect to succeed in the learning. This is a tougher one to accomplish, but I feel it involves creating a safe and inviting atmosphere, explicitly telling students what they need to do to succeed, choosing appropriate difficulty level of material, and holding high but realistic expectations for your students.