Hello Bill,
Thank you for the pointer to your Bain_study.pdf. I have not yet read
it, but I will, and it looks really interesting. Is this work in press?
being prepared for publication? Internal only?
Regarding intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation, in my geophysics course for
engineers (40-50 students) my experience is that the two types of
motivation are coupled. By providing some extrinsic motivation for doing
the work and participating (both individual and team), the intrinsic
interest in the subject seems to increase. Also, positive feedback
probably plays a role: extrinsic motivation => better working habits &
accountability => increased intrinsic motivation => more enthusiastic
instructor behaviour => increased energy in the class => increased
intrinsic motivation ... and so on.
This is anecdotal - compared to earlier "lecture only" days, I simply
find a more enthusiastic "buzz" in the room since incorporating some
aspects of TBL (we spend roughly 50% class time on lecturing, 50% on TBL
components - iRats, gRats, team exercises - and there is a lab).
Of course it also helps to provide learning materials and contexts that
are coupled with the student's interests. This is perhaps easier in a
class of like-minded students (3rd / 4th year geological engineers and
geologists) than it would be in a course taken by students with a
broader range of interests.
That's my 2 cents worth ...
Francis.
Bill Goffe wrote:
> I understand this point very well, but I wonder if it is in some sense a
> good idea. Before starting TBL in one of my class classes (40 students in
> an undergrad economics course called "Money & Banking"). I read Ken Bain's
> "What the Best College Teachers Do" and was quite taken with it and
> implemented much of it in a 300-student intro economics course. He makes
> the point that the best instructors are able to engage their students in
> such a way that they're intrinsically motivated (as opposed to extrinsic
> motivation as described below). Some of a summary of his work and some
> implementation of it can be found in my paper
> http://cook.rfe.org/Bain_study.pdf . But, as you'll see, I didn't seem to
> get increased learning. I have yet to try run the data from Spring 2008.
> It seem, and this isn't so surprising, intrinsically motivating students
> is really hard.
>
> - Bill
>
> Bob said:
>
>> I have found that, if there is not some type of reward for their work they
>> stop taking it seriously.
>>
>> I hope this helps.
>>
>> Bob
>>
>> Robert J. Philpot Jr., PhD, PA-C
>> Interim Dean of Academic Affairs
>> Chairman, Department of PA Studies
>> Director and Associate Professor
>> Physician Assistant Program
>> South University, Savannah, GA
>>
>> 912-704-5717 mobile
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>> "The old begin to complain of the conduct of the young when they
>> themselves are no longer able to set a bad example."
>> Francois de La Rochefoucauld
--
--------------------------------------------------------------
| Francis Jones,
| Teaching & Learning Fellow & Lecturer (Geophysics)
| EOS Science Education Initiative (eos-sei),
| UBC Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative (CWSEI).
| UBC Department of Earth & Ocean Sciences,
| 6339 Stores Road, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4,
| [log in to unmask] or 604-822-2138.
| http://www.eos.ubc.ca/public/people/faculty/F.Jones.html
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