Motivating students in a Beginning Computer Class

Teaching a beginning computer class provides for a wide range of attitudes. On one hand there are young students, just out of high school, most of who have grown up on the computer. Older students, on the other hand, often come to class with little or no experience with a computer. Being a required course sometimes affects attitudes also. To some students course is an unwelcome stress factor, while other students see it as a waste of time because they feel that they know all of the information already. This variety of attitudes can be a challenge to an instructor who is faced with progressing at a pace that is appropriate for all students.

Keller’s model of motivation is useful for assessing and improving the motivation of students. A motivated learner will meet the four conditions for motivation out lined by this theory: attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction, ARCS (Driscoll, 2005, p. 333). The first day of class provides opportunity for the instructor to motivate students to succeed in the class. The instructor might gain students’ attention, for example, by showing a video depicting new advance in technology. In online classes, students might use discussion boards to discuss the relevance of computers in the work place. Instilling confidence can be difficult, but I have found that spending time individually to tutor and encourage students experiencing difficulty pays large dividends in this area. Providing students with opportunities for success usually helps in the satisfaction category. This can be accomplished by providing learning activities with goals that are understandable, fair, and achievable.

Reference

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.