The New Face of Higher
Education: Strategies That
Enhance the Motivation and
Success of Diverse Learners
Laurie Yates, DMgt
Eastern Oregon University
Learning
Survival in the 21st Century demands
– Active engagement in knowledge and competence
acquisition
– Lifelong learning
Detraditionalization of social life- periods of
learning, work, unemployment, care giving, or
resting (Bye, Pushkar, & Conway, 2007)
Who Are Today’s Learners?
Higher Ed Enrollment 2000-2010 (U.S.)
• All students 37%
• 18-24 yr olds 34%, 25 & older, 42%
• Non traditional students to 73%
• % of Hispanic, Asian, Pac. Islanders, Black students
increased; white student attendees decreased
• (National Center for Education Statistics)
(National Center for Education Statistics)
Our Students
•
•
•
•
•
Age
Ethnicity
Gender
National origin
Physical and mental
abilities
• Underprepared
•
•
•
•
•
•
Race
Religion
Language
Sexual orientation
Socio-economic status
No family history of HEd
experience
• Disability
Culture
“Culture can be defined as a dynamic system of
values, beliefs, and behaviours that influence
how people experience and respond to the
world around them” (Guo & Jamal, 2007).
Cultural Diversity
Cultural diversity can be referred to as
“distinctions in the lived experiences, and the
related perception of and reactions to those
experiences that serve to differentiate collective
populations from one another” (Marshall, 2002,
p. 7).
Benefits of Diversity
• Improved campus climate
• Opportunities for acquiring broader
perspectives and viewpoints
• Participation in more complex discussions
• Can lead to openness to diversity, improved
critical thinking skills, and greater personal
development (Guo & Jamal, 2007)
Nontraditional Undergraduates
Characteristics (any of the following)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Delayed enrollment of 1+ yrs after high school
Part-time attendance
Financial independence from parents
Full-time work
Dependents (other than spouse)
Single parent
No high school diploma or GED
(National Center for Education Statistics)
Adult vs. Traditional Learners
Challenges/barriers for adult learners
–
–
–
–
Lack of time to pursue education
Family responsibilities
Scheduling of course time and place
Cost of educational courses
Different approaches to learning and teaching are
needed to encourage participation and
engagement in learning
Andragogy vs. Pedagogy
Andragogy
Pedagogy
• Self-directing
• Experience is valued in the
learning process
• Readiness to learn and need
to know
• Intrinsic motivators
• Problem-centered or task
focused
• Teacher directed
• Teacher’s experiences are
relevant
• Readiness to learn to
achieve next step
• External motivators
• “Chalk and Talk”
(Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2005)
Motivation
• Motivation binds emotion to action. It creates as well as
guides purposeful behavior involving many systems and
structures within the brain and body (Ratey, 2001)
• “From a biological perspective, motivation is a process that
determines how much energy and attention the brain and
body assign to a given stimulus” (Wlodkowski, 2008, p. 2)
• Research in neuroscience and learning
• “Intrinsic motivation is governed to a large extent by
emotions, which in turn are socialized through culture”
(Wlodkowski, 2008, p. 20)
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
• Intrinsic
– Driven by challenge, curiosity, and mastery
– Self-development rather than immediate return
– Sustained interest with little recognition or support
• Extrinsic
– Seek approval and external signs of worth
– The learning task itself is a means to an end
• Engagement in learning is the visible outcome of
motivation
How can we motivate students in their
pursuit of learning? Can we?
“We can influence the motivation of students by
coming to know their perspective, by drawing forth
who they naturally and culturally are, and by seeing
them as unique and active” (Wlodkowski & Ginsberg,
1995, p. 18).
Learner Motivation
• McCombs and Whisler (as cited in Wlodkowski,
2008), “In general, ideas from neuroscience and
constructivism are compatible with intrinsic
motivation’s tenets that human beings are curious
and active, make meaning from experience, and
desire to be effective at what they value” (p. 96).
• Motivational Framework for Culturally Responsive
Teaching (MFCRT) provides a structure for planning
and applying motivational strategies.
Motivating Instructors
• Motivational Framework for Culturally Responsive
Teaching (MFCRT) – a tool for inclusion and
connectedness
• Five pillars
–
–
–
–
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Expertise (knowledge)
Empathy (caring)
Enthusiasm (commitment)
Clarity (individual follower attention)
Cultural responsiveness (respect and social responsibility)
• Qualities
– Realness or genuineness
– Caring, trust, respect
– Empathetic understanding and sensitive listening (Wlodkowski,
2008)
MFCRT
• Four conditions that teachers and students
create/enhance
– Establishing inclusion: Respect and connectivity
– Developing attitude: Positive view of learning
experience through personal relevance and choice
– Enhancing meaning: Creating challenging, thoughtful
learning experiences that include students’
perspectives and values
– Engendering competence: Students are effective in
learning something they value
Human Resource Management Course
Motivational Condition
Question To Ask
Strategy
Learning Activity
Establishing inclusion
How do we create or affirm a
Collaborative
Randomly form small groups
learning atmosphere in which
learning
in which students exchange
Developing attitude
Enhancing meaning
we feel respected by and
experiences and perceptions they
connected to one another?
have about the hiring process
How do we create or affirm a
Relevant
Ask students to choose one aspect
favorable disposition toward
learning goals
of the hiring process for which
learning through personal
they would like to develop better
relevance and choice?
skills and learn more (Ex: interviewing)
How do we create engaging
Critical
Form teams to devise interview
and challenging learning
questioning and
questions based on crafted job
experiences that include
predicting
descriptions which will result in
students' perspectives and
selection of qualified applicants and
values?
successful employees
Engendering
How do we create or affirm an
Self-assessment
Students "field test" their interviewing
competence
understanding that students
skills on volunteers who will provide
have effectively learned
feedback. This is followed by team and
something they value and
individual reflection on what they
perceive as authentic to their
learned and how they will apply it in
real world?
the workplace
Lesson Plans
• Design with active rather than passive learning in mind.
Active learning can be described as “anything that involves
students in doing things and thinking about the things
they are doing” (Fink, 2003, p. 103).
• Examples of rich learning experiences
– Debates
– Role-playing
– Simulation
– Dramatization
– Community service
– Real world project and application
– Reflection
Feedback
• “Feedback about one’s learning and behavior
significantly contributes to one’s sense of control and is
vital to intrinsic motivation and improving learning”
(Wlodkowski, 2008, pp. 19-20).
• Prompt and frequent
• Positive
• Informational rather than controlling
• Specific and constructive
• Quantifiable (percentages, ratings, measures)
• Ask students what type of feedback would be helpful
• Was the feedback understood?
• One-on-one, team, and class feedback
Learner Motivation: Impact
• Outcomes
• Retention
• Success in the 21st century
• Lifelong learning
(Taylor & House, 2010)
Thank You
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