Motivation and Interest
- the camp scrapbook is a good motivator for students with performance-approach goals - they will want to complete the scrapbook because doing so is deemed as a measure of success; the scrapbook is also a good motivator for children with mastery-approach goals - they will want to complete the scrapbook through careful consideration, comprehension, and engagement with the material
- the relaxed and fun atmosphere of the program will ease anxiety and promote engagement for students with anxiety about social comparison, new environments, and uncertain expectations
- this program will be intrinsically motivating for students already interested in art, art history, or general learning.
- it might be necessary to provide some extrinsic motivation for other students; for example, a small prize (maybe free tickets to come back to the museum) could be awarded for completing the activities and scrapbook
- throughout the program, activity leaders will capture interest by prompting students with questions about the material, before, during, and after the material has been presented (ex: Activity 3)
- giving choices is also a great way to spark interest and put learning in the hands of the children (ex: allowing children to pick their statue during Activity 5)
- activity and group leaders act as liaisons and scaffolds between the children and the material; having such a resource will give children the impression that learning and knowledge is attainable in this environment
- most of the activities incorporate a component that calls for students to apply knowledge learned; doing so confirms the importance and usefulness of the knowledge, increasing desire to attain it
- emphasizing the importance of working together and having fun together will promote common social goals and shared goals alike
- challenging students in meaningful ways is important in order to engage students in the material; introducing challenging and new concepts and/or asking challenging questions are ways that this program engages its participants (ex: Activity 4 or 2)