04 Feb 2019 29 Comments
Engaging the Imaginations of Digital Learners
Motivation is very important to increase the learning ability on the student. The idea of the “Quest to Learn” school seems interesting in triggering the kids imagination. Digital learning keeps the kids excited and interested to learn more. We have a very known proverb saying “Teach the kids while they are playing”; it is very effective and beneficial for them. However, exposing them to digital screens all the day could pose other problems; like the lack of socializing with other kids, eye problems …
It is true that lectures could be very boring, but for me two factors could help in getting the student’s attention. The first one is that the student is really interested in the subject (like grad students who are working on a research problem related to the class content). The second one is that the instructor is really talented, knowledgeable and energetic. If the student got motivated, I think that there is no need for phone or laptop ban during the class.
February 4, 2019 @ 6:35 pm
I agree with you that if the teacher motivates the students with his/her energy and passion for the subject then there will be no need for phone/laptop ban. However, there will always be some students who are not motivated at all, and those students will bring down the rest of the class with their usage of social media on electronic devices.
February 5, 2019 @ 3:22 pm
Of course, we can not guarantee to get 100% of the students motivated. However, if the non motivated students use their phones on social media, I don’t think that it is gonna affect the rest of the students, especially if the others are really interested in the class content.
February 5, 2019 @ 12:18 pm
I agree that getting students interested in the course material and being an engaging lecturer can make lectures more beneficial, but there is also a question of creating a course that requires students to really engage with the material instead of expecting all the information to be conveyed through a lecture. Using technology can be beneficial but there should be a balance between technology and engagement in class. Implementing practices like building on previous topics to thread the material together is something I’m looking forward to digging into as we create our syllabus drafts for the class.
February 5, 2019 @ 3:27 pm
Engaging the student is very important in getting their attention. I really like the part of “building on the previous topic”. The student can get the big picture of the topic and its small parts; it actually helps in understanding the material.
February 5, 2019 @ 4:46 pm
I agree with you. If the teacher is good, lectures are interesting. But, the fact is that I do not remember most of my high school material that was taught. And old teaching techniques are partially responsible for that. Learning can be made interesting with or without technology. The point is that there should be a good mix of everything – lectures, discussions, activities and digital learning tools. It just makes you experience better.
February 5, 2019 @ 8:57 pm
You are right, there should be a mix of everything t have a successful learning. I am not sure thought about the reason we don’t remember high school material. It might be because we were not mature enough and we didn’t think deeper about what we have learned. We learned it only to pass exams, not for our selves and for our knowledge.
February 5, 2019 @ 9:18 pm
I love your words – Teach the kids while they are playing. There is so much truth to that. When kids are having fun they sometimes do not even realize they are learning. This was the case today when I observed by 4th graders “building houses” on Minecraft. A key focus to the lesson was empathy for others. The houses had to be designed for a “family” that had a special need.
I also love your comment about lectures. I believe in balance. Some professors have the most wonderful backgrounds and stories, that I can soak up every word they are sharing.
February 5, 2019 @ 10:44 pm
Hi Maha (& everyone in this comments thread),
I am excited to see so many are thinking about how to combine different strategies to keep the students interested and tuned into the material. One of the things that Carnes mentions at the end of his article that I think also plays well with motivating our students is this: he says that the friendships developed through these exciting active learning activities make the learning community stronger.
Full quote here: “When absorbed in intellectual games of this nature, students find the customary diversions of college—beer pong, World of Warcraft, Facebook, fraternity hijinks—less compelling. The ideas, texts, and historical moments on which academic discourse depends become a part of their lives, and the friendships they forge in the heat of prolonged competition can transform their class into a community.”
So it’s not just about mixing up a dusty old lecture, but it’s also about facilitating these moments where the students in the class connect and become friends. So whether it’s over gamefication of your subject material or heated debate over topics in higher education–making it a fun (& friendly?) environment will go a long way to capturing the hearts and the minds of our students.
February 6, 2019 @ 11:11 am
You are right Sara!
February 6, 2019 @ 11:12 am
Thank you Cindy!
February 6, 2019 @ 4:11 pm
Great post! I agree with you that the motivation is playing a role in the learning process. Also, we can use the gaming and technology for kids learning, but we should put in consideration the time of using those tools to keep the learning effective.
February 6, 2019 @ 4:24 pm
Great post. You stated in your post that it is it is very effective and beneficial for kids learn while they are playing. I 100% agree with you on this fact. Because I think the knowledge you get by doing something or experiencing something is more effective than just listening to someone and memorizing it. These hand one learning experience could be achieved through games as well as through experiments.
I agree with the fact that it could be problematic if kids are just engaged in games. What I think is too much of anything is not good. I think the idea should be to develop a learning system with all these strategies(games, lectures, experiments, ect) to make learning more engaging and interesting.
February 6, 2019 @ 6:01 pm
Maha,
Great post! I agree that individual motivation plays an important role in the learning process. I always say that…you can be the most talented, well-spoken, best prepared educator but if the student lacks motivation/interest chances are they will do poorly, or at least just do what they need to “get by” in the classroom.
As for the issue with the screens, I also wondered about how being in front of a screen all day cannot be good.
February 26, 2019 @ 4:27 pm
Thanks for the post, Maha. Out of curiosity, what elements of play would you incorporate into your classroom to facilitate active learning? I think it’s an interesting concept to does so — as I think elements of game design that keep players interested could help give a possible avenue for a teaching pedagogy.
August 4, 2021 @ 1:22 am
hey Maha thanks for this valuable article this information is useful for us.
October 21, 2021 @ 2:24 am
I really enjoyed your post! It’s definitely true that motivation plays a role in learning. As well, we can use technology and gaming for kids’ learning, but the time used should be kept in mind to ensure the learning is effective.
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