March Discussion Question 3
One of the limitations to the study is that
some students were fully engaged in the group project while others just completed
minimal work necessary to graduate. How are Masters students best motivated to
complete research projects?
posted by Julie @ 8:31 AM
29 comments
29 Comments:
I find peer review/grading at the end of the project to be a highly motivating point. I think knowing that your group mates will have a say in your grade can be a bit more persuasive than a simple participation grade. In graduate school, the immature bitterness of throwing someone under the bus simply because you don’t “like” them has passed (at least you would hope). Encouraging objective evaluation of peer contribution with a requirement to explain ratings or provide a short summary of the experience with each team member can help an instructor better judge how well the student worked in a group and how well they contributed.
Including an emphasis to consider context as far as other commitments and challenges the student may be managing concurrently in the assignment instructions could help evaluators put things into perspective. Having this anonymous evaluation at both mid-semester and end of semester could also provide an opportunity for feedback and the ability to search for improvement. In the end though, I feel like the experience gained (or not gained for lack of participation) eventually comes around to appropriately help (or hurt) the person in their future career. It shows a person’s character. Usually it’s just a matter of time before fake people or lazy people are exposed by their own doing.
When it comes to group projects, an idea is to possibly have certain parts of the project led by different members of the team, which is specified at the initiation of the project and turned in to the professor. Specifically with this project proposed in the article, different team members would oversee specific sections (Grant proposal, IRB, etc) in which they are ultimately responsible for and communicate to their group members what they are to do. While it may be hard to organize, it may be beneficial to motivate all members of the group by assigning tasks in a more 'official' way.
Gina, I like your idea about having anonymous evaluations. Even though people may not be motivated to change and continue being lazy amidst group projects, having that feedback about their work ethic and contribution to the project or lack thereof may motivate them in the future to step up or realize they need to change if they want to be successful down the road.
Ultimately, I feel that the level of student engagement depends on the intrinsic drive of the individual. Encouragement and positive reinforcement could be utilized to increase student motivation, but the end results depend on the student's efforts. However, I do think that allowing the group to create their own project plan and system of evaluation would be beneficial. The evaluation would be determined based upon the group's consensus of what an "ideal" group member would be/how they would act. With this, the individual effort is being monitored and held to the standards of the group, not just the supervising faculty member. This is similar to what is currently implemented in ISU's Food Science class, which is heavily group project-based.
Nikki's idea of assigning members their respective tasks is a great way to equally distribute the work for the year-long course. However, I would still be concerned of an individual "slacking off" in their respective responsibilities. This could result in an overall decrease in the quality of the project as a whole, especially if the other parts of the project were well-executed.
Oh the most common complaint with group projects....people seemingly not pulling their weight. I find this issue many times stems from management and leadership styles from group managers. Although sometimes it seems that a person is not participating or providing as much help, I have found that this many times relates to lack of trust in team members and difficulty delegating tasks, especially at the Master's level.
I think a great idea to motivate Master's students is to have each student be a project manager and/or team leader for one section of the project. This would divide responsibilities and require each individual to step up and fill various team roles for the same project.
I do agree with Holly, however, that intrinsic motivation is a major factor in participation with group projects. We are certainly fueled by positive reinforcement, and it is good to have milestones/goals throughout the project to provide both praise and areas for improvement. I do believe that at the Master's level, however, that we are highly motivated both intrinsically and extrinsically, which is what pushes us to achieve and be successful.
This area of concern is a typical area of concern for any type of group project. I think for this research project it would be important that everyone in the group leads a certain part of the research. I think they should assign what project they will lead and document it on paper. When it is each individuals turn to lead their section, they should assign roles for other members in the group. I also like the idea Gina mentioned on evaluation forms is defiantly motivating. I think a way to make this even more motivating would be to do it after each section of the research project.
With all that said, I also do agree with Jenn that masters student’s are typically highly motivated individuals and at least for our class, I could not see anyone completing minimal work and wouldn’t have this concern.
I agree with what Holly and Gina said, although positive reinforcement and evaluations may be helpful to motivate individuals it is ultimately up to the individual to motivate themselves. As Gina mentioned, it is a matter of time before unmotivated individuals are exposed. I am sure all of us at one point in undergrad have had someone in a group who did the minimal work and although it is frustrating, that is the way some people are. However, times like these can also provide opportunities for you to become a better leader and teach you to not let others hold you down!
This was another part of my fear when I was responding to the previous question. Students have different work ethics. And when one group member is giving 100%, often times others slack off and don't pull their own weight. I think the best way to keep them accountable would be to have all of the group members turn in a team evaluation at the end of the project to "grade" one another on participation.
I also like Nikki's idea of delegating tasks to each team member so each individual has a sense of ownership on their part of the project. At the master's level, I don't think that having lackluster team members is as big of a concern as simply working at different paces and the desire to have that ownership over your own work. Therefore delegating would allow all individuals their own work pace and sense of ownership over their portion of the research project.
A possible solution to this issue is having students with similar backgrounds in research be grouped together. Having everyone in the group with the same level of experience will prevent unfair distribution of work. Of course, this can backfire. If you get a group of students who are highly unmotivated with very little research experience they may just choose to provide unsatisfactory work, or no work at all. My hopes would be that everyone would be more inclined to work together because it would be easier for everyone overall, and students wouldn’t rely on a single person. As Stephanie said, we are at a master’s level so I wouldn’t worry about team members not contributing. I believe having groups with similar research backgrounds would help keep everyone engaged and motivated.
I find it surprising that one of the limitations of the study was that some students were not engaged in the group project. I would not be surprised if this was a limitation in an undergraduate study. However, I would expect most graduate students to be highly motivated and engaged since they chose to further their education through a Masters program. That being said I think a good way to motivate a Masters student to complete a research project would be to closely relate the research project to their individual career goals and to explain how the research project could help develop their resume and portfolio. Students are always willing to do more for a project if they can see how it will get them ahead in the work force.
Gina stated that peer review/ grading at the end of the project highly motivates her. However, I do not find peer review beneficial or motivating because I usually find it easier to just give everyone a good score. I will only give a bad score if someone really does nothing to contribute to the group. I also think it is uncomfortable to rank my peers because I do not feel I am qualified enough to decide how well they completed a task that I am still working on improving and completing myself.
I think Nikki’s idea about having different group members lead different sections of the project is a great idea to motivate students to contribute to group projects. I think each section of the project would be significantly improved because each person would pay a little closer attention to the section they are leading. I also think it would give every member in the group an opportunity to be a leader. In the typical group project setting one member usually tends to take over the whole group and everyone else becomes followers. Being a follower can be highly non motivating. By having different leaders in the group motivation might be increased.
At the Masters level, I believe that intrinsic motivation to gain knowledge, experience, and personal growth are what drives research project completion. Graduate level education is expected to be mentally challenging and not designed for unmotivated students. Making a conscious choice to pursue a Masters degree indicates that a student has the drive to continue their formal education and push their intellectual limits to grow as a critical thinker and professional. In the context of a research project, specific intrinsic motivation likely stems from the desire to seek answers to difficult questions and achieve a sense of accomplishment after completion of a long-term project. I think it is difficult to induce this intrinsic motivation in an academic setting. A few strategies to motivate seemingly unmotivated students would be to group students with similar attitudes or work ethics together. If less motivated students or those less interested in research were assigned to complete this type of project together, each person would need to step up in a different way than if they were working with more highly motivated student researchers. Hopefully as less motivated students invest more time and effort into their research project they will develop a stronger sense of intrinsic motivation as they become more attached to their cause and possible implications of their research. Essentially, I believe that students may become more intrinsically motivated as they spend more time on the single project and they develop a sense of pride for their work.
I agree with Carly's comments about the individual decision to continue education in the form of a Masters degree. Emphasizing the potential benefits of the research protect for individual goals and professional prospects is a good idea for enhancing motivation. Holly focused on the importance of intrinsic motivation, as I did as well. Holly's proposed strategy for increasing this motivation through group decisions about plans and evaluations/assessments is an excellent idea. Allowing individualized development of evaluation tools can highlight the importance of supporting the group goal through personal contributions, thus improving motivation.
For me personally, I think my best motivation is having a research topic/project that I am extremely passionate about. When reflecting on projects in the past that I am really proud of, they almost always were something that I was excited about. I find that I am most successful when I feel curious about the subject and learning more, rather than simply “having” to cross another item off my to-do list that I have little interest in. However, I can see where this might be difficult in working with a group. Let’s say that your group has to decide on a topic and the topic that was chosen for your group is something that you have absolutely no interest in but another member of your group is crazy about. Thinking about that scenario, I can understand where the motivation levels of students might be a little different.
Gina made a good point about how peer review/grading at the end of the project would be highly motivating. In my previous class experience with peer grading, this seems to have some impact on a person’s work ethic. While Carly mentioned that it was surprising that some students might not feel motivated at the graduate level, I also wonder if some of this could be due to burnout. I think, depending on the person, this can truly impact a person’s motivation level. Even thinking to this point in the internship where it could be easy to slack a little just to make it to the end for graduation, feeling personally invested in my projects has helped keep my motivation up. However, if I were doing projects that I had very little curiosity about, I think I would be feeling less motivated and more likely to coast though until graduation…(aka the same idea as senioritis!)
At a master's level, I feel people are motivated by tasks they feel will contribute to their professional knowledge and experiences. It seems that DI students are a particularly motivated group of people, but there are always times where group work is challenging. I think allotting time in the semester or in the week to work on the research project could be helpful. Overwhelming schedules and stress levels may be a reason someone is less engaged in the project (at least I know that's how it would be for me). Furthermore, I like the idea of assigning different people in the group different responsibilities to take control of. I think that being the clear leader presents some motivation to be successful. Though grades may not be the biggest motivator, I think that grading people individually versus as a whole group may be beneficial as well. That would minimize an individual's ability to slack off without getting formal recognition for not equally contributing. This is always a tricky question when considering group work. Perhaps education literature would have more insight on the best way to approach this issue.
I like what Amanda said about picking a topic that students are passionate about. However, I also recognize the challenges that come with that in group work. Everyone has different interests and passion areas which may or may not align. Furthermore, this article discuses group research based on the faculty members research topic and design which would limit students ability to choose a topic based on interest entirely. Maybe this is something that could be redesigned but it would decrease the simplicity of the group research project from the faculty standpoint.
Group work can be a real challenge at times especially when you are bringing together multiple personalities and multiple viewpoints on how to handle a given project. One of the things that I think is most beneficial in group work is to allow each person equal opportunities to express their opinion. It can become very easy for one or two people in the group to take over a project and not allow others an opportunity to share their ideas. In this instance I feel that a participative style of leadership would be most beneficial in order to ensure that everyone is pulling their own weight.
I like Nikki’s idea of assigning different team members to oversee specific sections of the research process. I think that this would provide group members with an additional sense of pride in ownership over their part of the project and help them to feel as though they are able to make a difference.
I've had two additional thoughts on my previous post having read some of the above responses. Though not everyone is in favor of the peer evaluation subject for those that are, I think having a project on day one of the class to, as a group, discuss and define what they think makes a good group member and why. If someone disagrees with a descriptor it can be discussed. From here, it gets everyone's expectations on the same page. By then end of the class the goal would be to have everyone in agreement for what makes a good team member. Having those parameters make up the final evaluation form could make the process more motivating to students because it was their idea, not ideas supplied by a professor.
As a second thought, this problem doesn't go away after grad school. It persists in the work place. Some people just aren't interested in being a leader, others are simply not in a position to be a leader at a particular time in their life. Either way, we will end up in these situations, and we will have to figure out how to manage them professionally. Whining to your boss about someone not carrying their weight doesn't go over well. Trying to find conniving ways to expose your co-worker makes you look just as bad and childish. If someone isn't pulling their weight (or is dominating the project), maybe that is a time to politely approach them and see where their head is at rather than making assumptions. Sometimes people just aren't aware that they are stepping on peoples toes or that more is expected of them. ...Communication competency
Students who are enrolled in a Masters Degree program seem to be highly self motivated, from what I have witnessed. The ones who are earning such a degree are determined and want to be there for the sake of their education and future. Motivation though is not something every student carries with them at its highest potential 24/7. Motivating Masters students to complete research may be difficult at times but with the right support groups and help from staff and peers I feel that Master students will remain enthusiastic and confident enough to finish their work to their best potential. Feedback, praise, and reinforcement all contribute to the motivation factor and each can be given by a staff member, friend, or peer. Open and honest relationships with students and staff will allow students to remain motivated.
I can agree with the majority of my peers when they admit that by dividing roles within a group research project will allow each student to feel involved and still responsible for the completion of the entire project. If a student feels that he/she has a role and is an important factor to the group, that student will most likely remain motivated throughout to complete his/her task to their best potential.
Ultimately, I feel that student participation comes down to having clear goals and expectations. If you want participants to complete a group project to a certain standard, then that standard needs to be clearly laid out where the minimum reflects/is that standard. So, if someone only meets the minimum they are still meeting your group’s expectations.
Motivation ultimately comes from within. So, for MS students to be motivated to complete a research project, the project needs to mean something to them. This can either come in the form of selecting a topic students’ care about or “selling” (present/future importance, direct benefits) the topic so the students’ learn to care. Motivation can also take time to develop; when students spend a lot of time on a project they will likely develop a sense of pride, further inspiring them to be fully engaged in completing the project.
Several people have noted the common issue with group work: some people not pulling their weight/ slacking off (as Jenn and Holly said). I think one way to combat this problem would be to have people stand up in front of the entire class and briefly discuss their contributions to that particular piece of the assignment. This strategy is a bit reminiscent of Dr. Anderson's theory class. Going in to each class knowing that I was expected to verbally participate in the discussion that evening absolutely ensured that I would have my work done and be prepared to discuss because I didn't want to be the one student who was unprepared. Participating and knowing that everyone will talk created a culture of participation and personal accountability in his class. Giving students brief bulleted discussion points to mention when it was their time to share would be helpful in keeping people's verbalization brief for sake of time.
Also, as Kandice mentioned, selecting a topic students care about could ultimately boost participation. While I think it would be hard to find something everyone is interested in, I think that getting students to buy in could be accomplished by explaining to them why the research they are working on is important or what the outcomes will be/ who the results have the potential to impact. Ex: results of this study could be used as evidence to support a grant proposal to fund healthy breakfasts for children of low income families who participate in the Heartland Head Start program. In other words: funds generated by a grant supported by this research could feed children who otherwise may not eat a morning meal!
Like others have said at the end of the day, motivation does have to come from within, but I think attaching altruistic value to an assignment could boost chances of student engagement.
I really enjoyed Desiray's comment about being expected to verbally talk in front of the class on how the student is contributing. Knowing that you will be expected to share with others your contribution to the project could motivate individuals to put in the effort. I also agree with others that making the research applicable to the student's interests would be necessary for intrinsic motivation- this would be the best way to ensure student's are doing their part.
Looking at my personal motivation on research, I would say Master students are best motivated when they have opportunity to publish or share their research with others. Research is not exciting unless you can show off all your hard work! I think having a specific regional symposium or journal in mind can help increase motivation. Also within a group setting, assuring all group members are equally motivated can be difficult. By having small groups combined by a common interest and work habits could be beneficial in that they are not only interested in the research content, but the group also is made up for a successful work environment.
One thing I have noticed as a major difference between undergraduate and graduate group projects is that I am never worried my peers will do what they need to do to pull their weight. Within a master's program ideally you would have students that are eager to contribute and learn because they chose to continue on in their degree :)
I agree with Kandice's point that motivation comes from within and has to have meaning to the student; however, I also believe motivation can be enhanced with a great leader. If one student that is highly motivated and intrigued by the research topic, they can use delegation on positive influence on their team members to attempt to increase group moral and motivation!
Master students are different than undergrad students. We are more motivated to learn and are genuinely interested, but undergrads see classes more as points and getting grades. I think I transitioned to look at classes as a way of learning instead of just getting grades over the course of my first year. I agree with Nikki and Gina that anonymous evaluations are an option, and I think that is a common method used. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to grade your classmates because you are concerned about how they will grade. I have a tendency to grade nicer because I would want my classmates to do the same. I don’t think there is a perfect solution. From my experience in grad school, I felt like I had to fight to just do a portion of the project because everyone was wanting to take charge and participate in the group project.
Motivation stems from external or internal factors in promise of reward or avoidance of consequence. To further motivate graduate student engagement in group research, the student must have a stake in the success of the project. The article highlighted that course grade alone was not a high enough stake for increased motivation. Other courses of motivation may include further opportunity to assist in doctoral research projects for highest performing students or competitive selection of individuals whom present research findings at a prestigious conference. An issue with group research is the risk not all participants will have interest or passion for the selected topic. This should be limited as much as possible through careful original topic selection and thorough research of research result application so that the amassed potential benefit of a students work may be emphasized beyond that of the classroom.
Jen I like your emphasis of the project division being on the part of individuals being leaders/ managers for research components instead of wholey responsible. Giving each team member control of a segment of the research will add value of collaborating with a team to the project, while still involving each student in every research component.
I do not feel that a singular focus of self motivation is the answer to unilaterally motivating students. Even as we would like to imagine slackers are inexcusably lazy by nature, they are humans just as us who feel passion for some projects more than others. As a result, simple insentification for work will increase positive external drive to engage in group projects. One way to do this was mentioned by Gina with emphasis on future career benefits and application.
At the Master's level, I feel most students are usually motivated to carry out their responsibilities like Abby mentioned. I agree with Nikki that assigning tasks would be an official way to place a specific responsibility on each group member. It may also help reduce confusion of who is responsible for what task in the group. If group member are allowed to choose a task that interest them most, I think that would motivate the student even more. It's always easier to stay motivated to put forth the best effort in a task that is interesting to the student. As Rachel discussed, carefully planning a topic that is interesting to the group members is very important, although it may be tricky to find a topic interesting to everyone in the group. Evaluations may be helpful in keeping group members on their toes, but if someone is unmotivated, I don't feel evaluations will make too much of a difference.
I believe that one of the best motivators for Master’s students is the relevance of the research project topic to their future careers. Of course, students would not be required to do a research project on anything that would be useless for their futures, but I feel that the more interest one has in their research topic, the more motivated they are to put in the time and effort. However, even with giving students some freedom to choose a relevant nutrition topic that most interests them, meeting every group member’s top interest would be difficult. More brainstorming would be needed to on this motivation strategy. Another effective motivator may be giving students a broader topic but then allowing them to focus in on what they feel is most important. This may give the students a greater feeling of personal choice, foster more creativity, and increase motivation.
I agree with Abby's opinion about anonymous evaluations. The concept is solid, but I can't see any of my classmates grading someone very low. Masters students (at least from my experience at ISU) are motivated and competent learners. Every classmate that I have worked with this year, whether in the DI program other FCS majors, has been motivated and a good group member. That doesn't mean that people don't have their strengths and weaknesses, but everyone has given a solid effort and want's to do their part. Like Abby said, sometimes we have to fight to get the opportunity to do a part of a research project!
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