Information and digital literacy in education via the digital path

As an educator, I have an embarrassing confession: When I was younger, I was an incredibly difficult student.

Read something? … On a good day, maybe I’d do some skimming.  

Prepare ahead of time? … Nah, another student will do the talking.

Pay attention in class? … What for? Why does this even matter to me?!

There within that last cringe-worthy question lies the problem. For anyone who has been at the front of a classroom, you know that one of the greatest obstacles to learning is student apathy. To help overcome this barrier, I recommend the “motivation step,” a brief, introductory discussion designed to articulate why the material is significant to a student’s real-world success.

If someone asked me about my most frustrating teaching moments, I would not have to think twice; nothing can be more discouraging than a group of bored students, doing something only because they are told to do it. At the same time, if asked about my worst experience as a student, I get the same image of a boring lecture or activity, with my mind starting to wander elsewhere, thinking of what I will be doing after… In either case, personally, I strongly believe that it is the teacher who can work the magic and make the learning experience more exciting, engaging, and interesting.

It can be hard to keep students motivated over breaks as they lose their day-to-day structure and are surrounded by more distractions. However, students have deadlines that demand attention over this unstructured period, and with the help of edtech for higher education, you can do your bit to help them stay motivated.

Motivation. The word is brandied about too much these days. An entire body of literature has sprung up around it. There are coaches who teach people how to cultivate motivation. There are websites, courses, seminars, and workshops to teach the how-to's, the wherefores, and the what-ifs of motivation. 

So first,  let's address what is motivation? And why should you care about it as an eLearning professional?