Time and effort are hard to control outside of class. Part of what i think effective teaching involves is getting students doing things in class that they can extend and do much harder work outside ofclass. So i think helping motivate students, not just by cheering them on, but by helping them see meaning and purpose in what they're doing is important. I think active learning in general is really helpful in these ways.
Peter Felten discusses the research on engaging learners on episode 216 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.
Notes from the episode
Shape what our students do and what they think in the most efficient ways possible.
—Peter Felten
Learning results from what the student does and thinks and only from what the student does and thinks. The teacher can advance learning only by influencing what the student does to learn. (from How Learning Works by Ambrose et al., 2010, p. 1)
Five Things Students Need to Do:
- Time
- Effort
- Feedback
- Practice
- Reflect
Three Things Students Need to Think/Feel:
- “I belong here.”
- “I can learn this.”
- “I find this meaningful.”