Background
This is a paper I wrote for my organizational behavior class. The assignment was to apply the principles of motivational psychology to a situation in my life. I post it here to argue for change in our educational paradigm.
Introduction
I consider myself a highly motivated and ambitious individual. One of my greatest aspirations is to continually learn, achieve and realize my potential in every possible aspect of my life. However, few things douse the fire of ambitious zeal and induce a feeling of hopeless despair like the looming assignment of a multiple choice test. All my current classes employ them, but some are more bearable than others.The class (organization) under examination for this paper is BUS M 341 (Marketing), as the recent test for this particular class has caused me significant grief. I am reluctant to apply myself in preparation for the exams because multiple choice tests inherently possess a number of debilitating, de-motivating weaknesses.
First, the exams provide no real-life application whatsoever; second, the wording of questions has a tremendous impact on a student’s ability to answer correctly; third, these tests do not provide an accurate measurement of students’ abilities; and lastly, students who want to be creative, original or step outside the norm are restricted.
Examining the Problem
Brigham Young University’s “Aims of Education” states that a complete perspective of education “ends with knowledge applied to the practical tasks of living and serving.” As an educational tool, multiple-choice tests do not provide students with applicable knowledge. Memorizing definitions, equations and concepts has little to do with solving actual problems in the real world.This dissonance between the task at hand and the ultimate objective of education creates very low task identity and task significance. With such a mundane assignment, how can students feel like their efforts constitute a “whole and identifiable piece of work,” or that their endeavors have had a “substantial impact on the lives or work of other people?” Maybe a good GPA provides some level of satisfaction in the end, but the world is no different because I got an A, nor does it result in “knowledge applied to the practical tasks of living and serving.”
From the professor’s perspective, the objective is to evaluate students’ abilities; but what abilities? Aptitude? Memorization? Achievement? Do professors thoroughly evaluate the objectives of their tests and design effective assessment tools around those objectives? Do professors take care to use clear wording and sentence structure? The wording and structure of tests can significantly alter their effectiveness, and logic implies that poorly written tests will induce poor responses from students.
When this happens, students are likely to feel a sense of unfairness or inequity. From my experience, I have started to feel that most professors put little thought into the design of their tests, let alone think about alternative methods of student evaluation. If any effort is expended, the intention seems to be aimed at tricking students and making their lives difficult. Why would I want to study if I don’t feel the professor has put much thought into the test, or when I know that my outcome can easily be affected by how the test is written?
Furthermore, students have a wide range of learning styles. However, most professors never think twice about their teaching styles and testing methods; they presume that all students understand the material as they teach it. This is not always the case. In addition to the many learning styles, students also possess different abilities and have unique methods of solving problems. I have little incentive to develop my own approach to problems if I know the test is nothing but memorization and regurgitation.
Instead of embracing a variety of talents and abilities, multiple choice tests stifle students’ unique abilities and incorporate limited forms of learning. They induce mediocrity, conformity, and blind acceptance–all of which are enemies to creativity, innovation, and true greatness. How are students to explore new possibilities and find new answers to problems if their choices are restricted to options A through F?
What Can the Organization Do?
What can my professor do to help alleviate the motivational disconnect of student evaluation? Using a low-level approach, she can be careful in writing the questions, give clear direction for studying the material, and try to be very explicit about the format and expectations of the tests. However, I feel that a new way of thinking about education and evaluation is long overdue. As a starting point, the job characteristics model provides a good framework for tackling the problem. Using the five core dimensions, the following ideas might be considered:- Skill Variety – Expand the skills and talents tested when evaluating students. Instead of focusing on merely memorizing facts and concepts, the professor could develop a curriculum that challenges students to use a variety of skills and ways of approaching problems.
- Task Identity – Design assignments and assessments that help students feel like they’ve completed a worthwhile task rather than just filling in the bubbles and checking the boxes.
- Task Significance – Help students find meaningful application of the course material. For example, I feel much more motivated to complete my service learning project because I’m confident that it will have a meaningful impact in the real world.
- Autonomy – Give students flexibility and control over their learning experience. If someone wants to apply the material in a creative way, help them design the structure and goals of the assignment.
- Feedback – Professors are generally available to meet one-on-one with students to discuss their work, but I would appreciate more in-class discussion and review of completed assignments.
Course curriculums designed with these principles in mind
have drastically increased my motivation to perform, and increased my
perception of equity from performance evaluations.
What Can I Do?
I undoubtedly have a significant responsibility to make the most of my education experience, so I need to evaluate what I might change in order to improve motivation. I feel an appropriate framework of analysis lies in the equity theory approach. I feel that my inputs (study, intellect, creativity) at the University are not adequately rewarded, so I am faced with a set of alternatives to change my perception of equity:- Change my Inputs – Reduce my intellectual and creative expenditure
- Change my Outcomes – Focus only on obtaining the grades I want
- Distort Perceptions of Myself – I’m just smarter than everyone else, so I’m unique
- Distort Perceptions of Others – Others aren’t getting as much out of school as me
- Choose a Different Referent – I’m getting a better education than my dad did
- Quit School – Just drop out because my efforts will be better rewarded elsewhere
I think I’ve considered all the above mentioned alternatives, except dropping out, but none of them really resolves my situation. Since I feel like many of the causes of inequity are beyond my control, I have just focused on obtaining the grades I need in order to get a job after graduation where my efforts will be rewarded.
However, I can try to start focusing on the overall learning outcomes resulting from my university experience – hard work, discipline, time management, social skills, networking skills, teamwork, etc. – rather than just rewards from evaluation. This may help me better appreciate my time at BYU. Because I’m a better person for going to college, maybe I can deal with the feeling of not being rewarded for creativity and uniqueness and cope with the frustration of being unable to express myself through schoolwork. This seems like a good place to start cultivating a more positive attitude.
