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// "In any situation, the best thing you can do is the right thing; the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing; the worst thing you can do is nothing." ~ Theodore Roosevelt //

Welcome to Meaningful Motivation!

This is a wiki on motivation built by Marianne, Tim, and Deb, for PIDP 3250: Instructional Strategies. Here we will explore a variety of topics on motivation as it relates to education. Marianne has looked at Instructional Strategies and Student Engagement. Tim has gathered information on Critical Questioning and Emotional Connection. Deb has examined Challenging Tasks and Learning Styles.

What //is// Motivation? There are multiple definitions of motivation; below are a few we have collected.
 * Wlodkowski (2003) refers to motivation as "the natural capacity to direct energy in the pursuit of a goal" (my emphasis, 1).
 * The Oxford English Dictionary (2013) defines motivation as the "stimulus for action towards a desired goal, esp. as resulting from psychological or social factors; the factors giving purpose or direction to human or animal behaviour ... the reason a person has for acting in a particular way, a motive" (my emphasis, n.p.).
 * Wikipedia (2013) sees motivation as "psychological feature that arouses an organism to act towards a desired goal and elicits, controls, and sustains certain goal-directed behaviors" (my emphasis, n.p.). It can also be referred to as "driving force" that "compels or reinforces an action toward a desired goal" (my emphasis, Wikipedia, 2013, n.p.).

What each definition has in common is the notion of using energy in the attainment of a goal. In this wiki we go into depth with some motivation related themes, others we just touch upon. While this wiki has not covered absolutely every aspect of motivation, we have covered the broad array of inter-related themes related to motivation.

As a starting point then, when referring to adult education we believe that motivation is a //means to an end// and not an end in itself, a way of developing and sustaining motivation as a means toward helping students achieve their goals. Broadly speaking, that goal is successful learning. Attentive students are interested students. Interested students are engaged students and engaged students are learning students. Motivation moves students and instructors along the track. And movement (as we see in our definitions) is motivation!

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**What are the key ingredients to improving student motivation?**
According to a Williams and Williams (2011) report in the //Research in Higher Education Journal,// there are 5 key elements impacting student motivation: student, teacher, content, method/process and environment. The **student** must have access to the education, the ability to participate, the interest in education and they must see the value in the education. The **teacher** must be well trained, able to focus and monitor the educational process, responsive and dedicated to student needs, and provide inspiration to the students. The **content** must be accurate and up to date. It must stimulate the student and be pertinent to the student’s current and future needs. The **method or process** must encourage the student, hold the student's interest, be presented inventively, be beneficial to the student and provide applicable tools to the students' real life. The **environment** must be accessible, safe and positive. It must empower the students and be personalized as much as possible.

In the Williams' report summary, they suggest that every motivational writer or theorist contributes to the overall understanding of student motivation, but that no single theory can completely explain it. They continue with the suggestion that if one were to consider all the available theories, one could draw on specific theory elements from each that could be applied in a particular setting. Instructors then could select those aspects which they find most useful or effective and use them independently or inter-connected.

Kaylene C. Williams, California State University, Caroline C. Williams, University of Wisconsin, Madison ‎[|www.aabri.com]
 * Five key ingredients for improving student motivation **

Abstract: ......//The five key ingredients impacting student motivation are: student, teacher, content, method/process, and environment.// // The focus of this article is to provide the educator with suggestions from each of the five key ingredient areas that can be used to motivate his or her students. What is the best way to motivate students? The short answer is that all of the strategies enumerated in this paper can be used…as often as possible. //

References:
Odom, Ashley. (2011, Aug. 15). Motivating Adult Learners. Retrieved from @http://youtu.be/aee4ONWZFj0.

Oxford English Dictionary. (2013). Motivation: OED Online. Retrieved from @http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/122708?redirectedFrom=motivation.

Wikipedia. (2013). Motivation. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation#cite_note-1.

Williams, Caroline, C., Williams, Kaylene, C. Five key Ingredients for Improving Student Motivation: Retrieved from []

Wlodkowski, R. (2003). Fostering motivation in professional development programs. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education,98, 1-13. [|http://www.raymondwlodkowski.com/Materials/Fostering%20Motivation%20in%20Professional%20Development%20Programs.pd]