[Xmca-l] Re: Intrinsic / Extrinsic Motivation

[Greg Thompson]

Lara,
You said this which got me thinking:
“I talk with students a lot about the object of college and find some of
them eager to engage in this conversation, but the more vulnerable, less
motivated students are not.”

I wonder if you have much insight about why the less motivated and
vulnerable students are not eager to engage in the conversation about the
object of college? Maybe you’ve a asked them and can share some of their
responses.

I’m curious as to what is going on there.

Greg

On Mon, Aug 26, 2019 at 10:36 AM Lara Beaty <larabeaty@gmail.com> wrote:

> Andy,
>
> I like the focus on particular activities that you suggest. I have
> designed and teach a First Year Seminar in Psychology in which I like to
> try out different activities to see what will connect with different
> students, but I still tend to be a little too abstract. It is a great
> course for putting theory into practice! I talk with students a lot about
> the object of college and find some of them eager to engage in this
> conversation, but the more vulnerable, less motivated students are not.
>
> For my research, I’ve explored a little the history of how politicians
> speak about college and wondered how important this might be to
> understanding student development. This discussion has led me to think
> about how intrinsic motivation or enjoyment or, for that matter,
> “development” tends to be viewed as important only for upper classes—how
> these concepts are cultural tools used to shape and sustain inequality
> while appearing to be abstract and neutral. The administration at my
> college loves Carol Dweck’s concept of growth mindset but also wants to
> control the direction of student growth, directing it away from the
> political and rebellious.
>
> Most of my students have no real concept of what college is, I suspect.
>
> Best,
> Lara
>
> On Aug 26, 2019, at 3:29 AM, Andy Blunden <andyb@marxists.org> wrote:
>
> Thanks for your very interesting observations, Lara.
>
> I'd like to suggest a way of seeing what is intrinsic to college
> education, of how and why joy can be derived from learning a fact of
> history, a principle of nursing, the novelty of a particular author, or
> whatever. What makes it enjoyable? What is specific about this pleasure
> which is distinct from the pleasure of watching a movie or playing a
> computer game?
>
> What is the object of College? At the lowest level of ethical development
> (above "Mum made me go!") it is the intention of gaining a job certificate
> for the welfare obtained by means of a wage.Instrumental from beginning to
> end. Nowadays, many governments conceive of colleges in a similarly
> instrumental way - to generate labour power to work in enterprises to
> generate profits. Few governments really understand the idea education in
> the humanities and sciences in the intention of raising the quality of
> social life.
>
> Likewise, it is anticipation of participating in projects in which they
> will take a real interest in their working life which offers the
> possibility of gaining intrinsic joy from learning about various facts,
> principles, methods, innovations, etc., so later to be able to further the
> profession, raise the quality of social life, improve the lives of ill
> people, etc. On both sides it implies a mature conception of what college
> is *for*.
>
> If that doesn't help, either they're not ready for college or the college
> is not offering something in which it is possible to get interested in.
>
> Andy
> ------------------------------
> *Andy Blunden*
> https://www.ethicalpolitics.org/ablunden/index.htm
> On 26/08/2019 3:33 am, Lara Beaty wrote:
>
> Hi All.
>
> ...
>
> When I’m teaching community college students, however, the simplicity of
> the terms is a useful tool for helping students think about why they are in
> college, given that most of them have never been exposed in any significant
> way to the idea of doing college for the simple purpose of knowing more and
> creating possibilities for new ways of thinking. I keep hoping to help them
> find some joy in learning and development.
>
> Best,
> Lara
>
>
>
>
> Dr. Lara Margaret Beaty
> Professor of Psychology
> Psychology Program Co-Director
> SERG Director
> Social Science Department
> LaGuardia Community College, CUNY
> 718-482-5796
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
880 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
WEBSITE: greg.a.thompson.byu.edu
http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson
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