The Smart Living Challenge Zone

The Smart Living Challenge Zone is a playful interactive exhibition to create public awareness around the topics of Biodiversity, Energy, Water and Waste. Formula D Interactive used and applied gamification principles and mechanics with state-of-the-art technology to attract and engage youth and families. (Do not respond to this case study. It is intended as an example of how yours should look.)

Formula D Interactive. (2016, June 8). The smart living challenge zone – interactive exhibition [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_sV-puwy0E

Motivation to Learn

In Chapter 9 of the book, Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (4th ed.), by Robert A. Reiser and John V. Dempsey, John M. Keller and Markus Deimann (2018) identify three to five major concepts and principles of motivation and volition. For each learning engagement principle, explain in your own words (150–250), how each is demonstrated in the Smart Living Challenge Zone. Remember to use proper APA-style formatting for in-text citations and references in your writing.

1) Curiosity

According to Keller and Deimann (2018), curiosity develops due to a gap, real or otherwise perceived, in one’s knowledge. The museum in the video encourages its visitors to want to learn more. It piques one’s curiosity. What is it inside that museum is so interesting? How did the creators of the museum make this technology work? Is this what is really happening in the world today?

2) Meaningfully Related to One's Goals

According to Keller and Deimann (2018), high levels of interest, mixed with challenging activities related to learning goals, may increase learners’ motivation and desire to achieve to “find out” about certain topics. The museum in the video provides opportunities for instructional designers (educators) to set goals for their students, and allows those students the opportunity to explore, or participate in a quest to find answers to specific questions provided by the instructor – should the instructor feel so inclined to create such a quest.

3) Positive Expectancies for Success

In the referred video, students have the opportunity to learn from mistakes made while playing certain games. They get to see “cause and effect”. According to Keller and Deimann (2018), when instructional designers (educators) give learners control over their learning environment, learners increase in confidence in their own abilities. Further, when they experience positive and successful outcomes, learners may increase in their self-confidence when allowed to gain experience from incorrect and correct choices.

4) Reaching Satisfying Outcomes to a Learning Task

Related to #3 above, reaching satisfying outcomes to a learning task can make all the difference in the world to a learner who desires to have control over his/her learning environment. The museum (or instructional designers and educators for that matter) should not chastise students/adults (i.e. learners) for incorrect choices (the museum does not). Rather, it shows or informs the learner of what could happen when certain choices are made, allowing the student to maintain control and explore further. In other words, according to Keller and Deimann (2018), feedback that informs students, as in a congratulatory comment or remark, helps motivates students to learn, allowing them to feel that they are in control of their learning environment, having reached satisfying outcomes with regards to a particular learning task.

5) Protecting Intentions

According to Keller and Deimann (2018), students may have great desires to accomplish skills or tasks, but will sometimes fall prey to internal and external distractions. To combat such distractions, learners need to exercise a great amount of volition, or self-regulation, to protect their own intentional desire to learn – especially in learning a certain task, skill, or quest to gain knowledge or information. Given the fact that the museum is very immersive, this could present a problem to students, who could easily be distracted by all the interesting interactive displays in the museum. Students should feel free to initially explore the museum, thus satisfying their natural curiosity to explore. However, if intentions are to be protected, instructional designers (educators) should provide students with specific learning objectives or goals before visiting the museum.

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References

Keller, J.M. & Deimann, M. (2018). Motivation, volition, and performance. In R.A. Reiser, & J.V Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th ed.) (pp. 78-86). New York, NY: Pearson