The engagement I'm talking about here is not the one with a ring on your finger, but the type that happens when students really engage in their learning. In the book "Student Engagement Techniques" by Elizabeth F. Barkley, she states that "Student engagement is the product of motivation and active learning"(pg. 6).
It struck home with me when she shares that it is not a sum. For those that aren't so math minded, keep in mind sum is adding and you can add a lot of motivation and zero active learning and still get something. However if it is a product, or multiplication, you simply can't have a result without both inputs.
So what does this really mean?
That without a student feeling like they want to be there, or at least during the first five minutes realizing the benefit of the course, and without engaging them in their learning, you won't be able to see engagement in your students.
The flip side of this of course is that if you are able to give the right balance of motivation, and involve them in their learning, then the outcome to you and to them could be quite the powerful product.
Have you explored Heutagogy? Keeping students at the centre... stay tuned for another blog post coming up on this topic shortly
It struck home with me when she shares that it is not a sum. For those that aren't so math minded, keep in mind sum is adding and you can add a lot of motivation and zero active learning and still get something. However if it is a product, or multiplication, you simply can't have a result without both inputs.
So what does this really mean?
That without a student feeling like they want to be there, or at least during the first five minutes realizing the benefit of the course, and without engaging them in their learning, you won't be able to see engagement in your students.
The flip side of this of course is that if you are able to give the right balance of motivation, and involve them in their learning, then the outcome to you and to them could be quite the powerful product.
Have you explored Heutagogy? Keeping students at the centre... stay tuned for another blog post coming up on this topic shortly