Student+Engagement



How to motivate adult learners is a complex study, with different notions existing as to what motivation is, and how it works within an individual. Generally speaking, a very good resource for beginning inquiry into motivation and adults is [|Raymond Wlodkowski's work //The Motivational Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching//.]

Within the study of motivation however, there are sub-themes that interweave and thread through the learning process; consider the inter-relatedness of learning styles, emotional connections, critical questioning, the challenging nature of tasks, and instructional strategy variation. O wnership and autonomy over the learning process, in the interest of keeping students interested and engaged, does seem to be a common denominator among the various sub-themes of motivation.

When discussing student engagement, the notion of what constitutes engagement is broad. It can refer to the student's cognitive engagement, or their emotional commitment, or their involvement in activities leading to learning.

Whether it is Thomson Rivers University [|Centre for Student Engagement,] Wlodkowski's notion of engagement, or Elizabeth Barkley's synergistic definition of engagement, student engagement is about promoting an active healthy productive relationship between learner and learning.

The e-publication //Faculty Focus// provides a compilation of definitions and strategies for promoting student engagement, gleaned from multiple sources. View their list of [|10 Ways to Promote Student Engagement] here.

References:

//Centre for Student Engagement and Learning Innovation//. (2013). Retrieved from Thomson Rivers University: http://www.tru.ca/ctl/Student_Engagement_and_Retention.html

Maryellen Weimer, P. (2012, July 26). //Faculty Focus Articles//. Retrieved from Faculty Focus: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/10-ways-to-promote-student-engagement/

(2010). Student Engagement Techniques. In E. F. Barkley. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Wlodkowski, R. (2003). Fostering Motivation in Professional Development Programs. //New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, no. 98//.