Keller's ARCS Model Of Motivational Design

Motivation can be affected by things like materials, the teacher’s behaviors, the structure of a lesson or course and other things like outside influences such as a student’s home life. Keller’s ARCS model is a “problem solving approach to designing the motivational aspects of learning environments to stimulate and sustain students’ motivation to learn” (Keller 1987). It is a four component model describing what that he uses to explain motivation. ARCS stands for (A) Attention, (R) Relevance, (C) Confidence and (S) Satisfaction. Keller has written a book on the subject and runs a website giving a short explanation of his theory as well as using the website as a place for collaboration between people regarding motivation. You can find the website at arcs.com

The first component, attention, can be gained in three different ways; Perceptual arousal, inquiry arousal and variability of teaching methods. Perceptual arousal means having a changing environment. You can achieve this through things like changing voice level, telling jokes and introducing emotionally stimulating content. Inquiry arousal comes from asking questions that students must think about in order to pique their interest or creating problems that they must solve. Variability is gained by using a variety of methods during your teaching in order to keep the students motivation. Using things like stories, pictures or video along with your lessons.

The next component is Relevance. Our students need to feel that there is a reason they are learning what they are learning. If they don’t know why they are learning something there will be very little motivation for a student to learn the material other than attempting to pass the class or assignment. Intrinsic motivation will be little or none.

The third component to the model is confidence. Students must be able to feel that they are able to achieve the goals of the lesson. We should be able to structure our lessons so that they are still a challenge for the students, but a challenge that they feel they can overcome. Students should feel that their work directly affects the outcome rather than external factors. They should also have the chance to be successful in many different challenging experiences which will help to raise their confidence level when beginning a new challenge.

Satisfaction is the final component of the model. Students must achieve some sort of satisfaction from their learning. It can be through natural consequences like being able to see the impact of their learning and being able to use it in situations. It can also come from positive consequences, which we as teachers can encourage by providing verbal praise or allowing demonstrations or presentations by the student. This would be great when presenting things like personal portfolios to parents.

Family Tree

1. Cognitivism

This learning theory is very has a lot to do with behaviors and understanding why people behave in certain ways

2. Gagne’s Instructional design theory

Gagne’s work has to do with conditions of learning and the design of instructional materials and how they affect learners.

3. Keller’s ARCS model

Keller is also interested in the conditions of learning and instructional materials, but he is more interested in how these things can affect learner’s motivation.

Practical Usage - Fielding Ground Balls

• Start class with the 10 minute warm up routine.
• Allow students to review hitting the ball ground and fly balls into specific areas of the field for 5 minutes. This will also allow them to begin warming up for the game as they will use these skills during the game.
• Show relevance of being able to pick up a ground ball and throw it during a live game. By asking what will I do if someone hits a ball on the ground? If I can’t stop it fast enough what will happen? - Asking these questions can show relevance while at the same time gaining student's attention through inquiry arousal.
• Explain the proper cues for fielding a ground ball
• Have students practice fielding ground balls that their partner hits to them for 5 minutes each.
• Explain game the game that we will use to practice fielding a ground ball.
• One student will stand in front of a line 15ft away and will throw the ball underhand to the batter. The batter will then try to hit the ball past the line behind the opposing player. If the pitcher is able to stop the ball before it crosses over the line than the pitcher receives a point, if the ball crosses the line the batter receives a point. Players will rotate positions after every 5 points.
• Adding a fun game in allows students to be involved and have something fun to keep their attention.
• Review the cues for fielding a ground ball. Give positive praise to the winners of the game. Praise for the winners can give them a feeling of satisfaction.

Other Links

• Keller has written a book on the subject and runs a website giving a short explanation of his theory as well as using the website as a place for collaboration between people regarding motivation. You can find the website at arcs.com
• This model can be used for the classroom but also goes far beyond that. For a chance to see it in practical use, take some time to read this paper about how some professionals have used it in their work at the San Diego zoo.
• If you have time, this is a great conversation between an Edtech professor from SDSU and the creator of this model John Keller. You can find this video conversation here.

References:

        Keller, J. M. (1987). Development and use of the ARCS model of motivational design. Journal of                          Instructional Development, 10(3), 2 – 10. Retrieved from http://www.arcsmodel.com/#!arcs-                      model/c1wm1