Intrinsic Motivation

According to Douglas H. Brown: The most powerful rewards are those that are intrinsically motivated within the learner. Because the behaviour stems from needs, wants or desires within oneself, the behaviour itself is self-rewarding; therefore, no externally administered reward is necessary.

General Strategies

Get to know your students Capitalize on students existing needs Make students active participants in learning Ask students to analyze what makes their class more or less motivating Hold high but realistic expectations for your students Help students set achievable goals for themselves

Strengthen students self-motivation Avoid creating intense competition among students Be enthusiastic about your subject Work from students strengths and interests When possible, let students have some say in choosing what will be studied Increase the difficulty of the material as the course progresses

Vary your teaching methods De-emphasize grades Design tests that encourage the kind of learning you want your students to achieve Avoid using grades as threats Give students feedback as quickly as possible Reward success

Introduce students to the good work done by their peers Be specific when giving negative feedback Avoid demeaning comments Avoid giving in to students pleas for the answer to homework problems Provide students with a "visual aid" when possible to explain abstract concepts Provide real world examples when possible

Check for understanding and review previously covered concepts often Realize that each student is an individual and, as such, no two students will be motivated in exactly the same way Tell students what they need to do to succeed in your course