Extrinsic Motivation Post 1

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation- Extrinsic motivation is influenced by reinforcements. The person participates in an activity to receive something. Intrinsic motivation is when a person participates in an activity for their own interest, not because of a reward or incentive. A person can be motivated to do an activity because they are both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. Praise and rewards are ways to motivate students if used in the right way. Teachers can also attempt to create a classroom that is intrinsically motivating to students. They can use real world application, choices, enthusiasm, and challenges to intrinsically motivate students in their classrooms.

 I would let a practicing teacher know about extrinsic motivations. I would tell them that younger students are intrinsically motivated and curious about learning. It is the older students that need extrinsic motivations to aid in learning. These extrinsic motivations can come from rewards, such as extra credit. Older students are more motivated to do well in school if there is some sort of reward for them after completion.

Is there a way to intrinsically motivate students, especially in a high school special education class? Or does intrinsic motivation sometimes only able to come directly from the individual?

Videogames, Youtube, and Facebook are motivating because they provide people with control and choices. They represent the Flow Theory which means that the person has an internal enjoyment and motivation when participating in the activity. Videogames establish goals, provide feedback, and require new skills. Youtube and Facebook both provide interaction, control, choices, and skill. The extrinsic factors for videogames would be playing a game against a friend and winning. Your friend might praise you and you might have bragging rights. An example of extrinsic motivation for Facebook and Youtube is getting “likes” on your videos, pictures, or comments.