This weeks module reading was based around John Kellers ARCS Model of Motivation, a theory designed to help promote motivation in students during the learning process. These four processes outlined by Keller are “Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction”. For this post, I am to answer certain questions about the reading so I will post them here for a better context:

1. Describe a part of this week’s readings that surprised you and explain why.
2. Explain which aspects of the ARCS module you feel most – and least – comfortable with.
3. What do you consider the main ideas of this week’s lesson? Why

From all of the readings on the ARCS Model, I would have to say that the popular use of the game Minecraft in the classroom is the most surprising. There is normally the thought that video games are distracting to students in a learning environment so I wouldn’t think that I would hear of such a popular game being embraced so easily. After reading about the ways the game is being used as a teaching tool such as demonstrating historical landmarks and storytelling, it makes sense to me just how successful this could be. By engaging students in learning through a media that already interests them out of the classroom, the “attention” stage of the model is easily achieved, motivating the students to learn.

In regards to which aspect of the model I feel most comfortable with, I would have to answer with the Attention stage. There are so many innovative ways to peak interest in a lesson with students. Anticipatory sets are the first thing that introduces students to a topic with the use of hands-on activities, fun but informational videos, thought-provoking questions to make the students think, etc. In my opinion, as the most important step in the model, coming up with new creative attention seekers is what the student will use to determine whether or not they are interested in what is being taught.

When it comes to the stage I am the least comfortable with, it is hard to choose. All of the stages I have some understanding for, and I don’t think any are confusing in any way. However, if any of them give me doubts about the variety of ways to execute, it would be the Satisfaction stage. I understand that giving praise to a student when they execute a skill well gives them a sense of accomplishment, but I’m sure that repeatedly doing so will make students immune to that feeling and they won’t be continuously motivated.

Throughout everything I learned in the readings, the main idea would have to be that it is important to instill a sense of interest in students to keep them motivated in the classroom. Without this feeling, learning for students will feel like a chore, when in reality, it should feel inspiring and engaging. By making a model that outlines exactly how to give students this feeling, it will help educators make sure they are doing as much as possible to lead their classroom into a productive learning environment.