Motivating The Student

MOTIVATING THE STUDENT

MOTIVATING THE STUDENT TO WORK UP TO FULL POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING STUDY 1 • INTRODUCTION •

We aren’t born knowing how to be effective. We learn how. We learn from our parents, from our teachers, from our peers, and from supervisors and mentors. We learn from workshops and seminars, from reading books, from trial and error.

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Developing our effectiveness is a life – long process.

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When we join an organization as a professional, we generally receive lots of help. The organization benefits if we are effective and so it takes steps to ensure that we are.

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Industry executives are well aware that new engineering graduates have a long way to go before they can ‘earn their salary’. New engineering hires are thus provided with the formal training, on- the – job training, close supervision, progressively more challenging assignments and time to mature.

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If new engineering graduates need orientation, training, monitoring and time to mature to be effective, how is it that as engineering educators we expect our students to know how to go about the task of engineering study the day they arrive?

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Strangely, when new students (or, in fact, new faculty) join the engineering college, they are left primarily on their own to figure out how to be effective and successful. 3

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Engineering colleges seem to be more interested in evaluating their newest members (students/ new faculty) than in doing things to ensure that they become effective and successful.

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Within engineering education, this ‘Sink or Swim’ approach is not working.

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Many of the engineering students who graduate fail to work up to their full potential.

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The good news, however, is that the process of engineering education initiated recently a shift from the ‘Sink or Swim’ paradigm to one of ‘Student Development’. The first year engineering curriculum is slightly revised with the primary goal of enhancing student success. 4

2 • KEYS TO SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING STUDY •

What makes the difference?

One student with seemingly limited ability and poor initial preparation succeeds in getting meritorious engineering degree. Another student with outstanding ability and excellent preparation fails. How can that happen? What are the keys to success in engineering study? • Three primary factors differentiate successful engineering students from those who fail. Determination (Most Important)

Don’t give up!

Effort

Work hard

Approach

Work smart

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3 • DETERMINATION Determination means having an unwavering commitment to the goal of graduating meritoriously in engineering (Firmness of purpose) – To persist even in the face of adversity. People who succeed are people who when they get ‘knocked down’ by some adversity, they get up; whereas, people who fail are people who when they get knocked down, they stay down. The most likely reason you will fail to do well in engineering study is that you have difficulty with subjects or with teachers or a personal problem, a relationship problem, or a health problem. You will encounter some adversity and use it as a reason (an ‘excuse’) for failing to do well. 6

The Importance of Goal Setting:  How can you ever expect to get somewhere if you don’t know where you want to go? Acquiring a meritorious B.Tech. Degree is the Primary Goal  Setting goals is the easy part. Achieving the goal is the real challenge.  You must make your day-to-day decisions and choices based on whether a particular action supports your goal (i.e., moves you closer to your goal) or conflicts with your goal (i.e., moves you further away from your goal). 7

 Once the primary goal is set, you can begin to place value judgements on the things you do (actions), the attitudes you hold (thoughts), and the feelings you have (feelings).  Productive Actions: Actions that support or move you closer to your goal. Non-productive Actions: Actions that tend to move you away from reaching your goal.  Positive Thoughts: Thoughts that would cause you to take productive actions Negative thoughts: Thoughts that would cause you to take non-productive actions.  Positive feelings: Feelings that produce positive thoughts which in turn produce productive actions. Negative feelings: Feelings that produce negative thoughts which in turn lead to non-productive actions. 8

Examples of Negative Thoughts and the resulting Non-productive Actions. Negative Thought

Non-Productive Action

I’m so far behind, I don’t get anything out of my teacher’s lectures. I learn better by studying by myself.

Cut class

Subject is too hard; I just can’t do it.

Procrastinate; put off studying

Teachers don’t seem to want to help me. They make me feel stupid. I don’t like having my life run as per a prepared plan.

Avoid seeking help from teachers outside of class

I don’t have time for student organizations.

Avoid participation in student organizations

I’m not good at writing and don’t like doing it.

Avoid opportunities to develop writing skills.

Spend time studying alone and not able to follow thoroughly

Waste time by not scheduling your time

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 And how do you keep adversity from stopping you?  How can you keep failures from discouraging you?

 The age - old saying:

We learn more from failures than we do from our successes.

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Learning to Overcome Adversity:  The four Commandments for you to persist even in the face of adversity are:  You must be willing to risk failure  You must passionately hate failure.  Persistence is a necessity, just as the willingness to acknowledge defeat and move on.  A measure of your potential to succeed is how you handle adversity. Believe in yourself. You can do it! 11

4 • EFFORT  The relative importance of Ability and Effort was perhaps best put up by the famous American inventor Thomas Edison:

Genius is one percent Inspiration And ninetynine percent Perspiration  Do you believe that people succeed because of their ability (a natural quality that you have no control over; that some people have it and other people don’t)?  It is a self – defeating belief. It can provide you with a rationale to accept failure in yourself.  Or, do you believe that people succeed because of their effort? This belief is empowering because the amount of effort you put in is in your direct control. You can choose to put in more effort and in doing so reap greater success.

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• Effort is both Time and Energy:  Poor academic performance can usually be traced to insufficient effort.  There are two distinct components to the effort you devote to your studies– time and energy.  Analogy: Distance Traveled = speed(rate) X time  Completing a specific task requires that you devote energy or mental power and spend time on the task if you want to be both effective and efficient.  Accomplishing an academic task will require you to devote adequate time and to focus your energy and mental power.  Your success in the study of engineering is to a great extent in your control. 13

5 • APPROACH:  Although some tasks will depend solely on effort, your effectiveness and efficiency in accomplishing most tasks will depend on both effort and approach.  In other words, success in engineering study requires not only that you work harder, but also that you work ‘smarter’.

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Become a Master Student: 

You realize that to become a Master of any play, you need to spend time both playing and learning more about the game through reading, taking lessons, or watch experts play.

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To become a master student you must not only play the game- i.e., be a student - you must also devote time and energy in acquiring the necessary academic and nonacademic skills, attitude and approach (soft skills).

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What is required to acquire a meritorious B.Tech. Degree?  You must develop a high level of commitment and motivation so you are willing to make necessary choices and personal scarifies.  You must learn how the educational system works and learn how to be effective as a student.  Learning to be efficient and effective at the task of studying engineering will have enormous payoffs for you. Not only will it enhance your success as a student, it will provide you with skills you need to be effective as a practising professional engineer.

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6 • MODELS FOR ASSESSING YOUR ENGINEERING EDUCATION •

One most positive and unique aspect of your Engineering Education is that you are working for yourself to prepare yourself for your future.

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Consider the Saying.

No deposit (=investment), no return •

Your education will represent a tremendous deposit in your future. Your return will be in direct relation to what you put in.

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Whenever you make a conscious choice to avoid learning, growing or developing, you are not getting away with something – you are working against yourself! 16

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Enhancing the quality of your Education:  Three models (= frameworks) from which to view and derive the best from your engineering education are presented.  The models will assist you in answering such important questions as :  What is the purpose of engineering education?  What should I know when I graduate?  How do I know if I am getting an excellent education?  How can I enhance the quality of education?  Will I have the knowledge and skills to get my dream job?

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Self -Evaluation & Self – Development:  These models are useful for self-evaluation and development.  You measure yourself against each aspect on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being high).  In areas you feel you are strong, just keep doing what you have been doing.  In areas you feel you need to improve, map out a plan for self-improvement.

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ATTRIBUTES MODEL (COMBINES INPUTS FROM STUDENTS, FACULTY AND INDUSTRY)

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Institutional Assessment:

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In today’s tight fiscal climate, engineering institutes are being urged to take up internal revenue generation and are being held more accountable for their productivity.

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Institutions are being asked to establish educational objectives and outcomes and to show that these objectives and outcomes are being met.

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Similar to the student assessment of the degree to which the student meets the educational objectives or expectations set by the University.

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Your engineering college may have a list of attributes that it strives to impart to its students. 19

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One engineering programme may emphasise proficiency in technology, whereas another may require every student to acquire ‘learn how to learn’ skill or cooperative education experience working in industry.

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A set of ten attributes combining inputs from students, faculty and industry representatives: 1. Problem Solving (The ability to identify and define a problem, develop and evaluate alternative solutions, and effect one or more designs to solve the problem) 2. Technical skill (A broad and in-depth technical background). 3. Communication skills communicating ideas).

(Effectiveness

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4. Mathematics/Science proficiency (A fundamental understanding of mathematics, physical, life and social sciences). 20

1. Ethics and professionalism (High professional and ethical standards). 2. Open Mind/Positive Attitude (A mature, responsible and open mind with positive attitude towards life). 3. Computer literacy (The ability to use computers for communication analysis and design). 4. Motivation to continue learning (The motivation and capability to continue the learning experience). 5. Business Management Practices ( A knowledge of business strategies and management practices. 6. World Affairs and Cultures ( An appreciation for and understanding of world affairs and cultures).

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Relative Importance of these Attributes as ranked by students, faculty and Industry Reps: R ank 1

Students

Faculty

Industry Reps

Problem Solving

Problem Solving

Problem Solving

Computer Literacy Math/Science Proficiency Communication Skills

Math/Science Proficiency Communication Skills Technical skills

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Technical skills

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Motivation to Continue Learning Open Mind/Positive Attitude Business Management Practices Ethics and Professionalism World Affairs and Cultures

Motivation to Continue Learning Ethics and Professionalism Open Mind/Positive Attitude Computer Literacy

Communication Skills Ethics and Professionalism Open Mind/Positive Attitude Math/Science Proficiency Technical skills

2 3 4

7 8 9 10.

World Affairs and Cultures Business Management Practices

Motivation to Continue Learning Business Management Practices Computer Literacy World Affairs and Cultures

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The most important attribute as recognized by all the categories is Problem Solving.

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Greatest gap between the view of Students and Industry: Ethics and professionalism ranked #3 by Industry and # 9 22 by students.

8 • EMPLOYMENT MODEL •

The single most reason you have chosen to study Engineering is the availability of jobs.

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In view of this, you need to consider what factors are important to employers and work to develop yourself in these areas. Employers look for the recruits with the following qualifications: 1. Personal qualifications including maturity, initiative, enthusiasm, poise, communication skills, appearance, and the ability to work with people (attributes: 1, 3, 5 & 6) 2. Scholastic qualifications as shown by percentage of marks / grades (attributes: 2, 4) 3. Specialized courses and industry training (attributes: 2,7) 4. Experience in campus activities, especially participation and leadership in curricular and extracurricular life (attributes: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10) 23

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How you fare in the interviews with prospective employers will depend on how well you prepare yourself in the four areas listed above.

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To be strong in each area, you must make a conscious commitment to make it happen.

9. STUDENT INVOLVEMENT MODEL •

You want to get quality education – i.e., to have the knowledge, skills and attributes that will result in your being highly sought – after by employers.

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What do we mean by ‘quality’ or ‘excellence’ in education?

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An excellent education is one that maximizes student’s intellectual and personal development – possible only through ‘Student Involvement’: 24

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Definition of Student Involvement :

The amount of Physical and Psychological Energy that the Student devotes to the Academic & Co-academic Experiences. •

Five measures of Student Involvement: 1. Time and energy devoted to studying 2. Time spent on campus 3. Participation in student organizations 4. Interaction with faculty members 5. Interaction with other students 25

Involved Student: An involved student is one who devotes considerable energy to studying, spends a lot of time on campus, participates actively in student organizations, and interacts frequently with faculty members and other students. Uninvolved Student: An uninvolved student may neglect studies, spend little time on campus, abstain from extracurricular activities, and have little contact with faculty members or other students. • • •

Which of these statements best describes you? In this way, you can assess the quality of the education you are receiving Increasing your level of involvement and hence enhancing the quality of your education is up to you.

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