Undergraduate classes typically have a wide variety of individual characteristics within the classroom. By simply applying a blanket solution, professors may find that many students remain unmotivated to complete the tasks due to a wide variety of causes. By shaping the project towards their existing sources of intrinsic motivational, professors may find better success when compared to typical tactics in which all students are given the same, or similar, task. Additionally, professors can shape the given rewards in a way that helps intrinsically motivate the students for better future performance.
One issue with many undergraduate projects is the lack of choice within the task. By allowing students to pick projects they are already intrinsically …show more content…
Giving rewards at the group level can be a dangerous venture as some individuals may take this as an excuse to social loaf. Instead, reward at the individual level, but reward the individuals who make important contributions to the group rather than individual goals. To do this the students will be given behaviorally anchored scales on which they will rate their group member’s contributions towards the group. These indirectly salient rewards are typically associated with higher levels of intrinsic motivation since directly salient rewards narrow cognitive focus and creativity (Cerasoli et al., 2014). In order to maintain motivation throughout the semester, there will be four student feedback grades throughout the term. By giving consistent developmental feedback, research shows that these students will be more motivated and will more likely to produce high quality results (Guo, Liao, Liao, & Zhang, 2014). Finally, have the groups come up with structured goals based on goal setting theory that are due at different times throughout the semester. As an example, their first goal may be to find an exact job on which to do the job analysis. Their second goal may be to schedule times for interviews with the current employees to determine their different job duties. By using goal setting …show more content…
Each student may be motivated by different rewards (e.g. grades, recognition, etc...) and since developing a motivational plan for each student is not feasible; professors must instead use an all-inclusive approach that combines different aspects from the motivational literature in order to come up with a plan that best suits the majority of the students. By allowing the students to pick jobs they already find interesting, and grouping them based on their group values, the students begin the task by being intrinsically motivated by their interest in the job. Additionally, when designing the project itself, it is important to determine the material and time needs of the group so that they will not encounter unnecessary pressure. Finally, extrinsic rewards have the ability to heighten intrinsic motivation when administered properly. By rewarding prosocial group members and rewarding them on indirectly salient measures, one has the ability to shape their behavior while also increasing their levels of intrinsic motivation. Additionally, by structuring the graded member feedback progressively throughout the project, the professor can steadily motivate the group members throughout the entirety of the project. By using current motivational literature we can maximize the potential motivation in the students while helping them learn the basics of performing a job
One issue with many undergraduate projects is the lack of choice within the task. By allowing students to pick projects they are already intrinsically …show more content…
Giving rewards at the group level can be a dangerous venture as some individuals may take this as an excuse to social loaf. Instead, reward at the individual level, but reward the individuals who make important contributions to the group rather than individual goals. To do this the students will be given behaviorally anchored scales on which they will rate their group member’s contributions towards the group. These indirectly salient rewards are typically associated with higher levels of intrinsic motivation since directly salient rewards narrow cognitive focus and creativity (Cerasoli et al., 2014). In order to maintain motivation throughout the semester, there will be four student feedback grades throughout the term. By giving consistent developmental feedback, research shows that these students will be more motivated and will more likely to produce high quality results (Guo, Liao, Liao, & Zhang, 2014). Finally, have the groups come up with structured goals based on goal setting theory that are due at different times throughout the semester. As an example, their first goal may be to find an exact job on which to do the job analysis. Their second goal may be to schedule times for interviews with the current employees to determine their different job duties. By using goal setting …show more content…
Each student may be motivated by different rewards (e.g. grades, recognition, etc...) and since developing a motivational plan for each student is not feasible; professors must instead use an all-inclusive approach that combines different aspects from the motivational literature in order to come up with a plan that best suits the majority of the students. By allowing the students to pick jobs they already find interesting, and grouping them based on their group values, the students begin the task by being intrinsically motivated by their interest in the job. Additionally, when designing the project itself, it is important to determine the material and time needs of the group so that they will not encounter unnecessary pressure. Finally, extrinsic rewards have the ability to heighten intrinsic motivation when administered properly. By rewarding prosocial group members and rewarding them on indirectly salient measures, one has the ability to shape their behavior while also increasing their levels of intrinsic motivation. Additionally, by structuring the graded member feedback progressively throughout the project, the professor can steadily motivate the group members throughout the entirety of the project. By using current motivational literature we can maximize the potential motivation in the students while helping them learn the basics of performing a job