ARCS in math class

    

This paper gives a view of how I would use the ARCS model of motivation to design a class for math to grade 6 students.

    Whatever we choose to do in life, without a clear motivation we won’t be able to achieve it. As a teacher, I may have a great instructional design for the class, but if I do not keep in mind the motivation factor of the students, I may not succeed. Hence our design processes need to include knowledge of human motivation and moves from analyses of learners to designing a solution (arcsmodel.com, n.d). Motivation has magnitude and direction and the learning environment we construct needs to include activities that harness the energy while giving it a direction towards the goals in front of us. We need to learn to win collaboration of our groups of students. ARCS is one such model for designing the motivational aspects of learning environments (arcsmodel.com, n.d). It has a set of categories drawn from multiple researches that can serve as a base for designing.



    The ARCS model has four characteristics, (a) Attention, (b) Relevance, (c) Confidence and (d) Satisfaction (Botturi, 2003). For this paper, I am choosing to take a lesson plan and show how I would integrate principles of motivation from ARCS to design my class. This is a grade 6 math class where I need to introduce Scientific Notation as a topic of study. The group is mixed ability with most of the students’ average and few outliers on gifted and special needs sides respectively. Their motivation for math is low, which I inferred by observing their behaviour in math classes through the 3 months that I taught them (Gagne, Briggs, & Wager, 1992).

Attention: Perceptual arousal

    (Gagne, Briggs, & Wager, 1992) ask, ‘What can I do to capture their interest?’ My topic involves writing numbers in the form of Scientific Notation . To capture their interest, I would show them a movie called Powers of Ten (Eames, 1977). Through a story, this movie shows the presence of very large and very small numbers in our universe as integer powers of ten.

Before the movie, I would revise the concept of Powers of Ten as a whole class discussion.

    At the end of the movie, there would be a whole class discussion around questions involving big and small objects in our universe and the one that wowed them the most! This would be an open discussion where no one is right or wrong. The purpose is to continue with their attention ‘hook’.



Relevance: Choice

    As these are teenagers, choice is an integral part of their motivational existence. I would give them choice by organizing the math learning part of the session. This school has 1 laptop per child with free wifi. This is how the lesson would be:

a. The class would be self-study using web based material.

b. I would give them a task sheet with clear instructions and websites they can refer to.

c. They have choice to work alone or in small groups and self learn the meaning of Scientific Notation as an application of powers of ten.

d. They would be given an end time but within that space they would manage their tasks as per their choice. They can pace out their learning.

e. As and when they feel confident, they will move to a worksheet with recall based questions and then the textbook to solve further problems. They can choose the point in their learning when they do that.



Confidence: Opportunities for increased learner independence

    The lesson expects the learners to work independently. Everyone may not be able to do the same. Hence there would be several scaffolds for the same such as:

a. Standby textbooks for students unable to manage the laptops independently.

b. Peer learning for students who need help to learn the concept.

c. Think-pair-share sessions (Edu-Gains, 2010) for students to ensure their learning is deep and in memory.

d. A worksheet with recall based questions for them to feel the assurance to move to the textbook problems.

e. Have a standby task to make a journal entry about the experience complete with colourful doodles as an optional task.


Satisfaction: Intrinsic reinforcements and Extrinsic reinforcements

    As motivation is external as well as internal (Gagne, Briggs, & Wager, 1992), I would design my lesson keeping in mind both of these. I would use the following tasks, all of some of them based on the learning outcome observed.

a. Have a small group discussion followed by whole group discussion on, ‘Who needs Scientific Notation and why?’

b. Self assessment with grades on the recall based worksheet.

c. Small group discussions for peer learning to clarify confusions.

d. A formative assessment the next day giving the students time to prepare at home for the same.



Conclusion

    I have used all the 4 elements of ARCS to create a multi-sensory classroom for math. The objective is to win cooperation from all types of learners on the bell spectrum.





References

arcsmodel.com. (n.d.). ARCS explained: ARCSMODEL-PROTOTYPE. https://www.arcsmodel.com/motivational-design-cyrv

Botturi, L. (2003). Instructional Design & Learning Technology Standard. ICeF – Quadernidell’Istituto, 9. https://doc.rero.ch/record/5154/files/1_icefq09.pdf

Eames, C. (1977). Powers of ten. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078106/

EduGains (2010). Student success: Differentiated instruction educator’s guide. http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesDI/EducatorsPackages/DIEducatorsPackage2010/2010EducatorsGuide.pdf

Gagne, R. M., Briggs, L. J., & Wager, W. W. (1992). Principles of instructional design. https://www.hcs64.com/files/Principles%20of%20instructional%20design.pdf