Tips for Increasing Learning Motivation

Educating and Precepting Tips for Teaching The Stitch

By: Sara Angelilli, DNP, MS, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC

Published: 10/9/2024

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Educators want to ensure that learners are getting the most out of courses, training, and education. Educators who use evidence-based strategies to increase learning motivation and curiosity will achieve this goal. Motivation can be defined as the amount of personal investment a person exhibits to achieve an outcome.1 Two factors that affect learning motivation include the subjective value assigned to learning the material and the level of expectation for successfully mastering the material.1 Three ways educators can set themselves and their learners up for success include creating a supportive learning environment, influencing goal setting, and establishing value. 

Creating a Supportive Learning Environment 

Learners are perceptive to the energy that the teacher brings to the education session. Supportive learning environments are affected by the physical space setup, educator communication patterns, and learner interpersonal dynamics (Table 1). The seating layout, room lighting, and noise level can all affect the environment and learner engagement. Educator word choice and classroom management style can communicate psychological safety to learners; for example, encourage and validate all attempts to answer questions out loud even if they are incorrect, celebrate wins, and use nonjudgmental language like, “Help me understand how you got to that answer.” Psychological safety is a phrase coined by Amy Edmonson that describes a belief that group members will not be humiliated for taking risks, asking questions, or making mistakes.2 The use of icebreakers and small group activities can facilitate peer support and connections that last beyond the learning event. See Sidebar 1, and download cards here for a few activity ideas.  

Table 1: Considerations for Creating a Supportive Learning Environment 

Topic 

Considerations 

Physical Space Setup 

Seating 

  • During presentations, have the learners facing forward or face the speaker. 
  • Use tables or move desks together to facilitate group work and pair-and-share activities. 
  • Use a semi-circle to facilitate large group discussion. 

 

Lighting 

  • Set lighting according to the activity to avoid eye strain (for example dim lights for digital presentations and bright lights for hands-on activities). 

 

Noise 

  • Minimize noise and other distractions, when possible, by closing doors and windows. 

Educator Communication Patterns 

  • Establish rapport with learners by treating them as equals, getting to know them, building safety through transparency, and demonstrating support of their learning. 
  • Acknowledge every effort by affirming learners who speak up and guiding them to the correct answer if they are not on track. 
  • Chunk information into smaller components and ask learners to share one thing they learned with their neighbor after each chunk. 
  • Select different teaching strategies for each chunk of information (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) and periodically have the learners change seating locations between chunks for increased engagement and learning retention.  
  • Use case studies, stories, and metaphors to help learners create links between concepts and enhance the understanding of information that can be directly applied to practice. 

Learner Interpersonal Dynamics 

  • Role model and encourage learners to verbally celebrate wins, especially when sharing personal experiences. 
  • Create opportunities for pair-and-share or group activities to foster relationship building. 
  • Ask learners to share their thought processes or memory aids with the class to help the group learn additional perspectives. 


Sidebar 1. Examples of Icebreakers and Teambuilding Activities 

Administer a simple personality test like the true colors test or the Myers-Briggs test (both can be found online). Have the learners share what they learned or confirmed about themselves and how they can apply their strengths in their work setting. 

Ask each person to share what their first job was, the best part of the job, and what they would change about it knowing what they know now. 

Divide the group into smaller teams and give them 10 minutes to build a team resume combining all experience, degrees, and roles together. 

Play "guess who?" by asking each participant to write a silly or unexpected fact about themselves on a piece of paper. Collect all papers and then read the facts aloud, guessing which fact was written by each person.

Play the Marshmallow Challenge, in which teams build the tallest free-standing structure from spaghetti sticks, tape, and string and place one marshmallow on the top (learn more at https://www.marshmallowchallenge.com/). 

 

    Influencing Goal Setting 

    There are four ways that educators can establish expectancy and help learners set positive learning goals. First, the learning objectives, assessments, and educational strategies should be aligned to inform learners about what will be expected of them in the education session.1 In turn, this will build the learner’s confidence and allow the learner to achieve success. The educator should clearly communicate their expectations of the learners at the beginning of the education session. If a learner experiences challenges with the information, the educator should clearly communicate their confidence that the learner can overcome the obstacle and offer to collaborate on a plan that capitalizes on additional resources for support (Sidebar 2).  

    Second, the educator should predetermine an appropriate level of challenge for learning activities based on the learner’s experience level with the topic.1 A pre-assessment can be used to determine baseline knowledge and modify the difficulty level of the course for each session. Third, early success opportunities should be incorporated to increase a sense of efficacy and learner confidence.1 For example, the educator can use polling questions that increase in difficulty throughout the session. Finally, the educator should provide meaningful feedback that reflects progress toward the achievement of the learning objectives.1 Feedback that is timely, balanced, and focused on one or two items at a time is most effective. 

    Sidebar 2. Additional Resources for Support

    Create a safe space for the learner to express their needs and empower them to co-create the solutions with you. 

    Assess the learning preferences of the participant and create additional opportunities to match their learning style with the content. 

    Allow for repetition so the learner can receive feedback, make self-adjustments, and create muscle memory.

    Further delineate concepts into smaller chunks or skills when indicated. 

    Connect the learner with a mentor who has experience aligned with their needs. 

    Utilize tools from third-party resources like Lippincott or Elsevier (if the facility subscribes to these services). 


    Establishing Value 

    There are four considerations that can aid educators in intentionally establishing the value of the education. First, educators should design activities that link the educational material with the learner’s interests to honor adult learning principles (Sidebar 3).1 Second, educators can capitalize on active learning tactics that demonstrate relevance by adapting real world problems to case studies, simulations, reflection questions, or pair-and-share activities that guide learners in the immediate application of new knowledge.1 Next, the educator should identify and reward what they value through modeling, feedback, and appreciation throughout the learning activity.1 Finally, the educator should incorporate their passion and enthusiasm for the topic through personal stories or unique bits of trivia that may spark curiosity and engage learners to find out why the educator is so excited about the topic.1 

    Sidebar 3. Linking Education Materials with Learner’s Interests to Honor Adult Learning Principles 

    Approach the education design process from the perspective of the learner by asking, “What’s in this for me?” 

    Highlight the “what” and the “why” and remove the “nice to know” information from the presentation. 

    Perform a formal learning needs assessment before the course to determine the information that should be included. 

    Perform an informal learning needs assessment by asking the learners what they hope to gain from the education session when the lesson objectives are stated, and use that information to focus the delivery strategy. 

     

    References: 

    1. Ambrose S, Bridges M, DiPietro M, et al. How Learning Works: Seven Research-based Principles for Smart Teaching. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass; 2010.  
    2. O'Donovan R, McAuliffe E. A systematic review exploring the content and outcomes of interventions to improve psychological safety, speaking up and voice behaviour. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020;20(1):101-101. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-4931-2 

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