5.+Troubleshooting+Problems+in+Learning+Environment

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There are many tips to create a supportive learning climate that fosters motivation, but there is less information readily available about troubleshooting problems within the learning environment. There are numerous constraints in education that make it difficult for instructors to enhance and maintain intrinsic motivation. Examples of such constraints include compulsory attendance, pre-selected curriculum, large class sizes, embarrassment of public failure, and focus on grades (Brophy, 2004). These constraints limit student autonomy and stifle self-directed learning, which can discourage intrinsic motivation despite the efforts of the instructor. Instructors may feel that they have done everything "right" to create a supportive learning climate, but some learners may still seem unmotivated and disengaged. This page provides some suggestions of how to reach out to unmotivated learners.

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 * Two** potential issues in the learning environment will be discussed in this page:

1. How diversity among students affects the learning environment 2. Why students are apathetic and what the instructor can do to motivate these students

**5.2 Diversity in the Classroom**
Diversity is present in virtually every college classroom for the following reasons: (Wlodkowski, 2004; Wynne, n.d.)


 * Adult learners have a variety of personal and financial commitments that young learners do not have. To adult learners, going to school is only a small part of their lives. Many students were at work immediately before class and will be heading home to care for their children immediately after class. They may be dealing with elderly parents, marital problems, financial debt, or other serious problems. Because it is often difficult to separate personal issues and finances from school, the college classroom is a mosaic of stress levels and fluctuating moods.


 * Adults enrol in post-secondary courses at nearly any age. Some may choose to continue with their education directly after high school, while others may have made the decision to change careers partway through their professional life. Still others may be near retirement and wanting to learn something new for interest's sake. The differences in age, and also maturity level, quickly become evident in the learning environment.


 * Adult learners differ from one another in educational background. Some members of the class may have already received training on the subject, some may have a degree in another field, or some may have not even finished high school. The mixture of prior education significantly contributes to the classroom dynamics.


 * Adult learners come from a variety of countries and cultural backgrounds. Certain cultural behaviours, hygiene protocols, wardrobes, religions, and accents will also influence how students interact with each other and respect each other in the classroom.

[] Feelings of cultural or social isolation erode students' motivation to learn (Ginsberg & Wlodkowski, 2009), so it is essential that instructors acknowledge and respect the diversity in their classroom environment. Managing a diverse college classroom while maintaining a respectful learning climate is often a difficult task, and there are no hard and fast solutions for dealing with issues related to diversity (Davis, 1993). The key is to prevent such issues by setting an example as an open-minded and respectful instructor. Prevention starts with the instructor recognizing their own personal biases and how these may affect their behaviour in the classroom (Davis, 1993). Also, the instructor must consistently demonstrate equitable treatment of all learners while inviting the learners to point out any behaviours or teaching practices that discriminate (Ginsberg & Wlodkowski, 2009). A comprehensive list of techniques to prevent, recognize, and manage issues related to diversity may be found in Barbara Gross Davis's book //Tools for Teaching//.

One highly recommended way to minimize discrimination and bias amongst students in the classroom is through collaborative group work (Saunders & Kardia, 2011). Group work facilitates cooperation and teamwork towards a common goal (Wieman, 2008), but is also a way to integrate students from different backgrounds, cultures, or age groups. Group composition can have a significant impact on group functioning, so it's important to try and create groups containing students that are of different races, genders, ages, and so on (Saunders & Kardia, 2011). Allowing students to always choose their own groups will only increase incidences of segregation. Of course, groups do not always get along and function effectively together, so it is up to the instructor to facilitate group progress and deal with issues in a timely manner, especially issues of discrimination.

//"Students are empowered in the learning process when they discover that their own background and experiences give them a unique perspective and a unique approach to the material."// - J.D. Powell and J.I. Lines There are countless electronic, print, and interpersonal resources available for instructors to learn more about how to promote, rather than stifle, diversity in the classroom. Most colleagues will have experienced issues with diversity in their classrooms, and are likely willing to share their insights based on personal experience. Also, there are interactive web-based tools that allow instructors to explore the many facets of diversity. Lastly, there are excellent books and articles, such as the Eberly Centre for Teaching Excellence's faculty guide entitled //Teaching in an Increasingly Multi-cultural Setting//, readily available to help instructors maintain a respectful, diverse learning environment.

The following video highlights the importance of embracing diverse backgrounds in the post-secondary classroom:

media type="youtube" key="XxjSzPQRmLE" height="315" width="560" align="center"

**5.3 Apathetic Learners**
Apathy is a significant motivational problem. When students are apathetic, it means that they feel alienated, don't find meaning in the course material, don't value the course itself, and aren't interested in the course (Brophy, 2004). These students tend to view school as meeting external demands rather than seizing learning opportunities.

"//Learning is most effective when an individual is ready to learn, that is, when one wants to know something.//" - Cagri Tugrul Mart Resistance to learning is based on the fear of change, which can be threatening to some people. The resistance to learn is a complex set of feelings caused one or more of the following elements: (Brookfield, 2006)
 * poor self-image
 * fear of the unknown
 * fear of looking foolish
 * disjunction between teaching and learning styles
 * irrelevance of course material
 * inappropriate level of difficulty
 * lack of clarity in instructions
 * dislike of teacher

Some of the above elements can be minimized through the establishment of a positive learning environment. However, even when a positive learning environment has been established, it is likely that some students may remain apathetic. Students are understandably reluctant to be honest and raise questions about the classroom environment (Brookfield, 2006), so it becomes important to use other indicators such as body language in order to notice unmotivated students. To learn more about student apathy in an interesting blog and discussion forum, check out //How to Guarantee Enthusiastic College Students// by William Briggs. Also, the article //Student Apathy - Public Enemy Number One// by Jason Fertig presents a college instructor's frustration with student apathy//.//

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**5.3 Motivating Unmotivated Students**
It can be hard to face apathetic students. It's not enough to tell them that the course is beneficial for them to perceive the course as valuable. Apathetic students require special motivation efforts on the part of the instructor that involve nurturing, resocialization, and scaffolding techniques (Brophy, 2004). Scaffolding involves the instructor controlling the elements of the task that are beyond the learner's capacity, this permitting the learner to focus on the elements within their range of competence (Puntambekar & Hubscher, 2005). In motivation, scaffolding techniques involve gradually building motivation in students by asking specific questions about the course content, the course progression, and the students' experience with the course (McCaslin & Good, 1996).

SCAFFOLDING: [] The following list presents some tips and considerations to reach out to unmotivated and apathetic students:
 * Teach apathetic students to practice metacognition in their classroom learning and study time. Keeping track of progress towards goals is an important part of motivation (Brophy, 2004).
 * Emphasize the importance of effort as a major building block of success. Students must understand that in education, they get out what they put in.
 * If possible, give students choice for assignments and learning activities. This promotes student autonomy, which leads to increased motivation and engagement (Barkley, 2010).
 * Incentive systems may be used for students who are capable but are lacking in motivation. Normally incentives work against intrinsic motivation (see Introduction to Motivation), but in this case the student is already deficient in intrinsic motivation (Brophy, 2004). The instructor may opt to reward these students based on an acceptable level of improvement using defined qualitative criteria. It's important to work closely with the student and remain supportive by accepting and celebrating gradual progress (Brophy, 2004).
 * Avoid empty praise. Insincere or exaggerated praise, as opposed to sincere encouraging words, can stifle intrinsic motivation and replace it with blind conformity (Kohn, 1993).
 * Threats or sanctions may force apathetic students to perform at the minimum level, but to truly foster the development of motivation more time and care must be invested by the instructor (Brophy, 2004). Attitudes and values cannot be forcefully changed by punishment, but can be modified and encouraged through instructor guidance, positivity, and support.
 * It's important to deepen and build upon the existing interests of these students. Active learning is maximized when students can relate new knowledge to existing knowledge (Barkley, 2010).
 * If apathy is running rampant in the classroom, have students work collectively to define tensions and make it a learning opportunity (Ginsberg & Wlodkowski, 2009). When students realize that their feelings are shared by others, they may be more willing to work collectively to reach shared learning goals.

Instructors often assume a non-blameful and realistically hopeful vision of students and their capacity to change (Ginsberg & Wlodkowski, 2009). However, instructors must realize that resistance is to be expected and apathetic students will always be present in their courses. Instructors must not ignore or give up on unmotivated or apathetic students. The key things to remember are to be less reactive and to not feel personally offended (Ginsberg & Wlodkowski, 2009). The website entitled //The Unmotivated Student //provides some excellent additional tips for improving motivating in the classroom.

**References**
Barkley, E.F. (2010). //Student engagement techniques: a handbook for college faculty//. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Brookfield, S.D. (2006). //The skillful teacher: on technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom//, 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Brophy, J. (2004). //Motivating students to learn//, 2nd ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Davis, B.G. (1993). //Tools for teaching//. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Ginsberg, M.B. & Wlodkowski, R.J. (2009). //Diversity & motivation: culturally responsive teaching in college//, 2nd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Iveybusiness. (2011, April 5). Diversity in the Ivey MBA classroom [Video file]. Retrieved from []

Kohn, A. (1993). //Punished by rewards: the trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A's, praise, and other bribes//. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

McCaslin, M., & Good, T. (1996). The informal curriculum. In D. Berliner and R. Calfee (Eds.), //The handbook of educational psychology//, 1st ed. New York, NY: American Psychological Association. Puntambekar, S. & Hubscher, R. (2005). Tool for scaffolding students in a complex learning environment: what have we gained and what have we missed? //Educational Psychologist, 40//(1), 1-12. Saunders, S. & Kardia, D. (2011). //Creating inclusive college classrooms//. Retrieved November 18, 2011, from [] Wieman, C. (2008). //Student group work in educational settings//. Retrieved November 18, 2011, from [] Wlodkowski, R.J. (2004). Creating motivating learning environments. In Galbraith, M.W. (Ed.), //Adult learning methods: a guide for instruction//, 3rd ed. (pp. 141-163). Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publshing Company. Wynne, R. (n.d.). //Characteristics of adult learners//. Retrieved November 18, 2011, from []