This is the first post here, but this isn’t the start of my efforts into engagement.
Here is some of the stuff that I have looked at so far.
Theories of Engagement
1. The use of Scoreboards
Scoreboards are everywhere. They are in all sports but also other areas of life
Think about a share price to a company, how many subscribers YouTubers have, how much money has been donated for a charity or cause, or even a city, state or countries daily cases of Covid-19.
They are all a great example of a number that gives a quick glance of how we are doing.
Teachers and parents can use scoreboards to help motivate students.
I haven’t finished looking into scoreboards, but you can read what I have learnt so far about scoreboards and engagement on another site I update here.
2. Stories and Storytelling
Stories are memorable. They are how we have evolved to learn, and a lot of us remember stories that we were told a long time ago. Sure we may not remember them exactly but we remember the main points
- Little red riding hood
- The tortoise and the hare
- Goldilocks and the 3 bears
Storytelling is also different from simply students reading books, it’s a social thing done in a room full of people (like a classroom).
Storytelling was once a prime form of entertainment and people like Mark Twain went on storytelling tours (and even came to Australia).
It’s quite popular now for businesses to learn ‘the power of stories’. But stories and storytelling can be used by educators to help students learn. And in my opinion it isn’t done enough.
Again im not finished with stories (I am listening to Aesops Fables at the moment) but you can read what I have found here
3. New, Novelty and Engagement
We love new!
Many of us read, watch or listen to the news and when we talk we typically talk about what has happened to us recently.
Things that we haven’t seen before tend to stick out above others.
Why? Some researchers believe that we have evolved this way. And that noticing new has helped keep our species alive.
Not only do new things get our attention instantly, they also turn the conscious part of our brain on instead of it running on Automatic.
Need a new look at new, and novel? Here is what I have learnt so far
Related Articles
Here are some other articles that I’ve written that relate to the subject of engagement
How to Build Self-Esteem in Children
3 Ideas on Changing a Strong-Willed Child’s Behaviour
Thanks for reading,