Assess THAT with Tom & Nat! (Assessment, Feedback, Grading, and Learning) 26 - Motivation and Assessment: Designing the Conditions for Learning with Josh Ogilvie
In this episode, Tom & Natalie are joined by CAC consultant Josh Ogilvie for a thoughtful and energizing conversation about the relationship between student motivation and sound assessment practices. Josh challenges the idea that motivation is something students either have or don’t have, and instead invites us to look closely at the conditions we design in classrooms (e.g., through purpose, choice, feedback, and assessment) that either invite students in or quietly push them out. Together, they unpack common misconceptions about engagement and explore why motivation is often a signal about design, not effort or character.
They also dig deeply into physical education as a powerful yet often misunderstood context for assessment. Josh shares why assessment in PE is uniquely emotional and visible for students, how traditional grading practices can unintentionally undermine confidence, and what more human, learning-focused assessment can look like in practice. Whether you teach PE or not, this conversation offers practical insights into how assessment can build agency, confidence, and motivation, rather than compliance, and why getting these details right matters more than we often realize.
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