Maria_LMF

//Learning Motivation and Fun//
// From our database of videos, I selected the following categories: male and female adults 30-39 and 40-49; who considerer their learning motivation and fun experience with high relevance to past experiences and future goals. My prediction is that the high percentage of individuals will consider the experience motivational because of a relationship to their employment. // Adult learners, male and female, ages 30-49, commonly reported that their fun learning experience involved hands-on applications. Twenty of 23 of all adults (100% of men 30-39 years of age) stated experiences of learning such as carving wood, participating in obedience school with her dog, flying a plane, and using play dough to understand the mass of the moon as compared to the sun, to name a few. In most cases, the learners expressed the involvement of their instructor in assisting in their learning experience. Fifty per cent of the participants mentioned the contribution of their instructor and viewed it as a positive interaction. Some adjectives mentioned, including mine, are entertaining, Michelle’s, fun, Deborah’s, encouraging, Fernando, comforting, and Jason’s description of the touring guy, as the guy with the funny voice. Other interesting fact I observed is that 50% of the women, were teachers themselves, learning most of them about teaching their subject matter. And the last common factor I found was that 30% of the reporters stated small group collaboration. James stated his competitiveness and desire to assist others as a motivational factor with his co-worker; likewise, Michelle, Karen, Julie and Kelley, revealed enjoying working with others as they worked with dough, worked on wind mills, acted roles of historical people, and drove motorcycles to pass the state test. // After watching the videos and determining generalizations, I conclude that relevance is not in its majority related to employment as I had predicted. Linda learned getting ready to get out of the house with her two children; Michelle passed her motorcycle course; Samm participated in sessions for dog obedience; Deborah learned to fly a plane; kim used video editing program from a PCs; Fernando participated in and acting class; and Rick went to Washington D.C. to join a wood-carving session, for example. // // I am a college instructor and I have many adult students who enroll in my class. I see that they can learn best if they are active participants in their learning. I must design tasks that will help them learn through manipulatives. In addition, learning experiences should be guided by me, the instructor. My role should remain that of a comforting, entertaining, and encouraging individual, //
 * //What makes learning fun and engaging?//
 * //What are the implications for your own teaching and design work?//

What are your 5 generalizations?

 * 1) Fun learning experiences correlate to employment related activities.
 * 2) Hands-on activities are perceived as motivational.
 * 3) Teacher/instruction interactions are perceived as positive when they are encouraging, entertaining, and comforting.
 * 4) Small group collaboration is present in many learning experiences that were viewed as fun and motivational.
 * 5) One hundred percent of men 30-39 stated that hands-on activities were part of their motivational and fun experience.