Motivation and Assessment

1
Motivation and Assessment

• Conventional wisdom would have us believe that
  the main purpose of assessment is as a stick to
  force students to learn.
• The customary response Yes to the question
  Will this be on the test? was all that was
  necessary to encourage student effort.

2
Changing Beliefs

• Since the 1940s we have known that connections
  between student motivation and assessment were
  far more complex and that holding the test over
  students heads was a crude way to encourage
  students to learn.

3
Motivation as a needs response

• Two well accepted theories tell us that students
  response to assessment is based on their personal
  needs. Maslow Alderfer tell us that first
  certain basic needs must be met, relational needs
  come next, and finally growth needs come into
  play.

4
Translation

• If we want accurate results when we
• assess students we

• Cannot scare them into achieving
• Must develop positive student-teacher
  relationships
• Must make students feel they belong
• Promote positive student self esteem
• Help students feel competent
• Provide appropriate positive affirmations

5
Motivation through Satisfaction

• Herzberg found that motivating people by
  increasing satisfaction had two important but
  different sets of factors. The purpose of the
  first set is to fix things that make them
  dissatisfied. When we do so we encourage adequate
  performance.
• To get excellent performance we must tap into a
  second set of very different behavioural factors
  ones that inspire people to go beyond being
  satisfied.

6
Rocket Analogy
7
Translation

• The hygiene factors are a platform we need to
  satisfy students. Without them we cannot get
  learning off the ground. Think of the platform
  as factors needed to encourage students to seek a
  satisfactory grade. To encourage a student to
  seek the highest possible grade we need to tap
  into the motivators that make the rocket
  soar.
• Our instructional and assessment decisions must
  be based upon both sets of factors.

8
Basis for Assessment Decisions

• McGregors theories relate to the mental
• models we use when dealing with people.
• A theory X teacher sees students as lazy,
• unable to accept responsibility, and needing
  
• pressure to perform.
• A theory Y teacher sees student as
• enthusiastic, responsible, and committed to
• perform well.

9
Translation

• Theory X teachers believe that rewards and
• punishments are necessary to motivate
• students. Assessment is the ultimate tool to
  
• make students learn.
• Theory Y teachers believe that students are
• intrinsically motivated to learn. Assessment
  is
• an important tool to support and measure
• student learning.

10
Motivational Urges

• Human behaviour is affected by three basic
• urges achievement, power, and affiliation
  

• Achievement motivation urge to do things
• better and set challenging
  goals.
• Power motivation urge to have some control
• and have a positive effect on
  their
• organization.
• Affiliation motivation urge to fit in and be
• liked by others.

11
Translation

• Some students see assessment as a challenge
• and set high goals for learning. Fair
  feedback on
• their performance is the motivator.
• Some students see assessment and its results
• as a way to influence their lives.
  Self-esteem is
• the motivator.
• Some students see assessment and its results
  
• as a way to fit in with others. Fitting in
  within a
• supportive environment is the motivator.

12
Goal Setting

• Goal setting is an important way to increase
• performance.
• Effective goals should be

• specific and clear
• realistic and challenging
• gauged by appropriate feedback

13
Translation

• Students who set learning goals are more likely
  to
• perform better.
• Effective assessment begins with encouraging
• students to set learning goals.
• We need to provide students with clear targets
  so they
• can set realistic but challenging goals.
• We need to provide appropriate feedback on their
  
• performance and encourage them to monitor
  their
• progress.

14
Equity

• People are motivated when they believe that
  life is fair
• and people are treated equally.
• People compare themselves and their situations
  to
• others to determine fairness.
• People who believe they are being treated
  unfairly will
• respond by making excuses, changing their
  inputs or
• outputs, or by quitting.

15
Translation

• Assessment must be perceived as fair and
  students
• must feel they are treated equally.
• Students will compare their assessment results
  with
• other students. We need to be sure that our
  grading is
• based on clear criteria that are measurable
  and
• defensible.
• If assessments are perceived as unfair students
  will,
• lower their efforts, lower their
  expectations, or simply
• stop trying.

16
Expectation of Success

• People are motivated by outcomes.
• Three factors that motivate us are
• how much we want the outcome
• whether we believe our efforts will lead to
• improvement
• faith that improved performance will lead to
• achieving the outcome

17
Translation

• Students are motivated by success.
• Before assessing students we need to be sure
  they
• value what we are teaching and assessing.
• As we interact with students we need show
  them
• that their efforts do lead to improvement
• When students show improvement, their grades
• should reflect this improvement.