Tuesday, August 5, 2014

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

“The ARCS model is a problem solving approach to designing 
the motivational aspects of learning environments
to stimulate and sustain students’ motivation to learn.”

                                                               ~  Keller (1983, 1984, 1987)

Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design has four steps for promoting and sustaining motivation in the learning process.  These steps are:  attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction (learning-theories, n.d.).  Each of these steps is part of a sequential process.  The first step is to gain the attention of the learners and to engage them (Driscoll, 2005).  The second step is to demonstrate the benefits of the technology to each individual.  In other words, show the individuals why they should learn this new technology.  The third step is to build confidence.  In other words work with the individuals to be more confident in their ability to learn the new technology.  The fourth step, according to Driscoll (Driscoll, 2005), is the payoff.  The payoff will be when each individual feels a sense of satisfaction that will allow for a continuing desire to learn.

When I read this assignment, the first situation involving technology that I thought of was when the state was implementing the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) grant program (QRIS, n.d.).  The entire application for this grant was online.  There were multiple child care providers who either did not know how to use a computer and therefore refused to apply; English was their second language; or their technological skills were not enough to allow them to work through the application process.  To add to this, since this was a competitive grant, other providers were not allowed to assist others.  The meetings that were held by the state of Massachusetts in order to assist with questions were awful to attend.  Individuals were so frustrated with the system and the whole process that these meetings were unproductive.  To this day I feel sorry for the administrators of the grant during this time.  They really had no idea how to help or to motivate the child care owners and providers into working with them in order to successfully apply for this grant.

In this scenario it would be important to gain the owner/providers’ attention.  This could be done by effective communication (i.e., contacting the owners/providers and explaining what the QRIS program is about).  Once the owners/providers’ attention has been gained, it would be important to demonstrate the technology is a concise manner that everyone could understand (i.e. even those who are not familiar with the use of computers).  The hardest part in this scenario would be finding ways for those struggling to gain confidence.  This confidence could be gained by the use of mentors who volunteer to assist those in need of extra assistance.  Last, would be the satisfaction of seeing the grant paperwork all digitally submitted.  Once this is done (and it is a long process) the individuals would be rewarded for their hard work and perseverance by receiving the grant to improve a variety of areas in their child care businesses.

References

Arcsmode.ipower.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.arcsmodel.com/#!arcs-
          model/c1wm1

ARCS Model of Motivational Design (Keller) | Learning Theories. (n.d.). Retrieved from  
          http://www.learning-theories.com/kellers-arcs-model-of-motivational-design.html

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston, MA:
          Pearson Education.

Keller, J. M. (1983). Motivational design of instruction. In C. M. Reigeluth
          (Ed.),Instructional-design theories and models: An overview of their current status.
          Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Keller, J. M. (1984). The use of the ARCS model of motivation in teacher training. In K.
          Shaw & A. J. Trott (Eds.), Aspects of Educational Technology Volume XVII: staff
          Development and Career Updating. London: Kogan Page.

Keller, J. M. (1987). Development and use of the ARCS model of motivational
          design.Journal of Instructional Development, 10(3), 2 – 10.

Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). (n.d.). Retrieved from
          http://www.mass.gov/edu/birth-grade-12/early-education-and-care/provider-and-
          program-administration/quality-rating-and-improvement-system-qris.html

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Blogs I commented on were:

anitaboseman.wordpress.com
travalper.blogspot.com
learningtheoryedu7105.wordpress.com

2 comments:

  1. Robin:

    I have also been in the kind of scenario you describe. Years ago I owned a computer services company and one of the services we provided was to train employees on computer equipment. It was normal at the time to train on both the use of the hardware as well as the software. Companies and/or employers did not understand that everyone was not wanting or going to learn how to use the computer in their businesses.

    Now you might think that the older a person was the less “trainable” they would be, but that was not always the case. The level of cooperation ran from the “I can’t wait to learn this” to the “I don’t want to be in the same room with this stuff.” Some people just make up their mind that they cannot learn something and no amount of cajoling will change them. For the majority of the trainees, I could use little games to get them comfortable with the equipment and then move to the programs and the uses of them to help productivity. Just think how out of touch some people are with so much of what we use being only online, they just do not know what they are missing!

    Anita

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  2. Robin,

    I see the challenges the child care providers went through the same as many of the math teachers in schools are having now because of the transition to Common Core Standards. There are fundamental changes in the ways how mathematics is going to be taught from now on, however many teachers have no idea how it is going to happen. The main reason is that these teachers, especially new ones, were not educated that way; they were not asked to prove a theorem or state why something happens.

    Definitions were given. Teachers (who were then students) were taught in a system where they have studied every topic, statistics for instance, again and again repeatedly, and they always knew the upcoming year they would see it again and that they did not have to learn, memorize the formulas and so on. Besides, they were no proving at all.
    Teaching every subject more profoundly will not be a problem. However, the paradigm shift in terms of the way the material will be presented will give hard time to many teacher and they need support not only in terms of workshops but motivational support is inevitable as well.

    Mustafa

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