Self Determination Theory
Various authors, Self Determination Theory, 2016/04/06

I was talking about this topic over lunch and then Jon Dron came up with a slide pointing to this site during his talk. Essentially, intrinsic motivation exists only if there is autonomy, competence and relatedness.Worse - extrinsic motivation kills intrinsic motivation. As soon as we start getting rewards or punishments, we have lost intrinsic motivation. So, Dron says, education systems are systematically demotivating. Right. See also: The Quick Teacher's Guide to SDT.

[Link] [Comment]

The scholarship of teaching and learning: what works, and why
Jessica Riddell, University Affairs, 2016/04/06

One acronym, which I kept reading in two senses:

• SoTL - State of the Literature
• SoTL - Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

They amount to the same thing in this article. And it was interesting to reflect on the state of the literature in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Here's what one author found (quoted):

• SoTL is a diverse and dynamic field - faculty members from across the disciplines are using their own methodological expertise to explore complex issues in higher education.
• SoTL is uneven. SoTL is a topic where, depending on the audience, you are either preaching to the converted or a lone voice in the wilderness.
• Disciplinary experts have the right, perhaps even the responsibility, to engage in careful and nuanced thinking about teaching and learning.

Maybe so. But it also underlines to me the lack of an actual science of teaching and learning. After all, we wouldn't expect to see a professor of English literature giving us their own perspective on electrical engineering. (p.s. don't expect to see the promise of the title anywhere fulfilled in this article).

[Link] [Comment]

Creative Learning and the Future of Work
J. Philipp Schmidt, Mitchel Resnick, Joi Ito, Mit, 2016/04/06

Good article, with a focus on the '4Ps' of creative learning (quoted):

• Projects - We learn best when we are actively working on projects - generating new ideas, designing prototypes, making improvements, and creating final products.
• Peers - Learning flourishes as a social activity, with people sharing ideas, collaborating on projects, and building on one another’s work.
• Passion - When we focus on things we care about, we are likely to work longer and harder, to persist in the face of challenges, and to learn more in the process.
• Play - Learning involves playful experimentation — trying new things, tinkering with materials, testing boundaries, taking risks, iterating again and again.

Note: to read this article you have to enter the password: reviewer (as indicated here). See also: Give P's a Chance.

[Link] [Comment]