New Technologies

New Technologies

Every new semester in my collegiate classroom, I introduce the online library database system associated with the college in which I teach.  My students in quite a few of my classes have to write or perform some sort of research paper in my class or other classes so I bring this in early.  While college students are savvy in the ways of technology and their abilities to access such information, they are still very reluctant to utilize the online databases.  While this is a tool that all college students should be comfortable with, I do make the learning process fun and show them how easy it can be. I show the students not only how to access the databases, find the appropriate database to find the information, but also show them how to narrow down their searches. I do this while utilizing a smart board and make sort of a game out of the whole class.  

Most students are reluctant at first and groan when they have to do any research. I show them how to find information online through these databases, but when I show them how easy it is to grab an article, download it to their system for later and how to utilize the APA citation tool it becomes really simple.  I break it down to simple steps and how to build their APA reference page as well.  It's amazing that the papers that come in after I show them this lesson how clean they are in APA formatting and style. What used to be reluctant researchers are now eager students happy to get A's in their other courses on their large research papers. 

In reference to the below table, I am utilizing the Perceptual arousal method, with showing how to get their attention on using this tool.  I repeat the lesson a few times during the session to show familarity of the databases, and give them motivational tools during the lesson to show how this can help them not just in this class but in their entire educational process.

Throughout the lesson I stress this is a requirement (confidence) for all papers, and outline how successful their other papers will be if they use this type of tool, and modify and build from a template that I provide.  The satisfaction these students receive after turning in their first paper not only in my course but other courses, and seeing how much less work it was to utilize the databases is very rewarding. 

Table 1 derived from Keller, 1987.

Table 1 ARCS Categories

Attention	Relevance	Confidence	Satisfaction
A1 Perceptual arousal A2 Inquiry arousal A3 Variability	R1 Goal orientation R2 Motive matching R3 Familiarity	C1 Learning requirements C2 Success opportunities C3 Personal control	S1 Intrinsic reinforcement S2 Extrinsic rewards S3 Equity

Keller, J. M. (1987). Development and use of the ARCS model of motivational design.Journal of Instructional Development, 10(3), 2 – 10.