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Faculty and students everywhere have been worn down by several years of disruption and discord. Changing demographics also mean that more college students than ever before are juggling not just coursework and activities, but also significant work commitments, family care-taking and other roles that demand much of their time and focus. This is a particularly difficult time to be engendering motivation.
Unsurprisingly, given these challenges, I personally have been observing in my own classes and hearing across higher education from faculty about students struggling with motivation this semester more than any other. Particularly in the form of not completing their assignment. Offering a balance between flexibility and structure, offering transparent, low stakes assignments with frequent sign posts and reminders can help our students succeed. But so perhaps using the principles and practices we covered in our earlier lessons to light a fire of intrinsic motivation. Fostering autonomy, competence, belonging and helping our students set effective academic goals.
Faculty and students everywhere are worn out from several years of disruption and discord. Changing demographics means more college students than ever are juggling not just coursework and activities but also significant work commitments, family caretaking, and other roles that demand much of their time and focus. This is a particularly difficult time to be engendering motivation.
Given these challenges, the more structure and transparency you can offer your students, the better. I recommend balancing flexibility with frequent signposts and low-stakes deadlines.
Discussions
What strategies have you used to motivate yourself in a context of many demands and stressors?
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.