Motivation and the weekly review

Step 1 Warm-up recall

From M7.L3: what is a good first step when starting is hard?

Your answer

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Step 2 Learning goal

By the end of this lesson you can:

• name three needs that support motivation (Foundation);
• compute a completion rate (Core);
• run a weekly review (Core).

Step 3 A familiar example

A fitness tracker works partly because you can see your progress. A study log does the same job.

Step 4 Clear explanation

Self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000) holds that motivation lasts when three needs are supported: autonomy (some choice), competence (a sense of getting better) and relatedness (connection with others).

You can support these yourself: choose the order of topics, record visible progress and study with a partner or share goals. A simple progress log records sessions planned and done. In the invented table the completion rate is the sessions done divided by the sessions planned.

Check the total: 3 + 4 + 2 = 9 done out of 4 + 4 + 4 = 12 planned, and 9 / 12 = 0.75, so 75%. A weekly review takes ten minutes: look at the log, move the missed sessions into next week (week 3 left 2 undone), note what got in the way and adjust one thing. Rewards help in moderation, but avoid turning study into something done only for prizes. See mastery learning, which uses the same idea of checking before moving on.

Step 5 Worked example (4 marks)

You planned 10 sessions and completed 7. What is the completion rate and how many carry over?

1. Rate: 7 / 10 = 0.7. (1 mark)
2. As a percentage: 70%. (1 mark)
3. Carry over: 10 − 7 = 3 sessions. (1 mark)
4. Answer: 70%, with 3 sessions carried over. (1 mark)

Step 6 Learner practice (instant-marked)

Step 7 Recap

• Autonomy, competence and relatedness support motivation.
• Completion rate = done / planned.
• A ten-minute weekly review keeps the plan alive.

Step 8 Exit ticket (ungraded)

8 of 10 planned sessions done: what percentage?

Your answer

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Step 9 Go further (Extension)

Start a progress log for next week and compute the completion rate on Sunday.