Ah -- very interesting. I wasn't aware of much of this background. At the
end, you ask:
> So, the question becomes, does TBL allow teachers to scaffold students and
> teams toward self-direction in learning or must the faculty keep constant
> vigilance regardless of the context?
While I don't have data, I'd suggest a tentative "yes." Several weeks into
the semester, when they've experienced TBL and have bought into it, I'll
sometimes leave the classroom for a minute or two to get a sip of water or
to get something I left in my office. On my return the room is still abuzz
with activity and hardly a students even acknowledges my return as they're
busy working with their team. I love how TBL sets up incentives for this to
come about.
I don't know if this extends beyond my class, but I'd like to think so. It
would be really interesting and indeed useful to know.
- Bill
Brent said:
> Thanks for your thoughts on the Hawthorne Effect, Bill. Like it came straight
> from one of my workshops.
>
> I fully agree; and, as you point out, so does most of the research. My point
> might not have been clear; I was not introducing the Hawthorne effect to
> advocate for it, but to point out that constant faculty oversight is like an
> application of the Hawthorne effect.
>
> To avoid further confusion, I think it is important to differentiate between the
> Hawthorne study conclusions and the Hawthorne effect. Management gurus
> and practitioners still hold tight to the “happy employees are productive
> employees” conclusion of the Hawthorne studies. However, this conclusion is
> essentially “cow psychology”; as in, “a happy cow produces more milk.” Last
> time I checked, most humans are a bit more complex than cows. Contrary to
> the conclusions of the Hawthorne studies and the assertions of some
> organizational psychologists, most research shows that performance precedes
> satisfaction, not the other way around. in other words, employees who
> perform tend to be more satisfied on the job.
>
> Rather than finding a connection between satisfaction and performance as
> many assert, the Hawthorne studies showed that paying attention to
> employees can result in temporary increases of productivity. MBWA serves as
> an example of how a manager can use the Hawthorne effect to elicit
> temporary increases in performance; “the boss is coming, look busy.” Faculty
> oversight in TBL also serves as an example of how teachers use constant
> oversight in attempt maintain performance levels in the classroom.
>
> A problem with relying on attention events to motivate performance is that
> employees performance becomes dependent on extrinsic motivational forces.
> This is why the Hawthorne Effect is the enemy of trainers; performance will
> usually increase through an attention event, but it is difficult to determine the
> degree to which performance increases can be attributed to the training or to
> the attention. If training is not reinforced or if it does not provide subjects
> with substantial new tools for sustained performance improvements,
> performance will likely drop in direct correlation to the performance that was
> motivated by the attention event. Homeostasis at work; it all balances out.
> However, this does not mean that there is anything wrong with the extrinsic
> motivators; we just need to be aware of the psychological forces at work, and
> make sure we are productively using the attention events to foster
> development rather than dependence.
>
> Regarding faculty oversight as an application of the Hawthorne effect, we
> have to apply a certain degree of micromanagement when we are working with
> students who have no experience in applying teamwork to learning, and with
> students who lack the maturity for self-direction.
>
> However, is there ever a point at which students can develop sufficient
> capacity and intrinsic motivation to collaborate without faculty oversight?
>
> In professional and adult development environments, managers and teachers
> attempt to facilitate individuals toward independence and teams toward
> interdependence by helping them gain skills and motivation for perpetual
> development beyond the classroom. Fully delegating responsibility and
> authority without any oversight is usually a mistake; but, we might find that
> continuous attention events can ultimately hinder development of intrinsic
> skills and motivation.
>
> So, the question becomes, does TBL allow teachers to scaffold students and
> teams toward self-direction in learning or must the faculty keep constant
> vigilance regardless of the context?
>
> Regards,
>
> Brent
--
Bill Goffe
Department of Economics
SUNY Oswego, 416 Mahar Hall
Oswego, NY 13126
315-312-3444(v), 315-312-5444(f)
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http://cook.rfe.org
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