The Critical Examination of the Aspects of the ARCS Model

  

The Critical Examination of the Aspects of the ARCS Model

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Motivating students is often found a difficult task for many teachers, but it is integral in meeting the desired educational goals. Motivation in education can have a great impact on the learning outcomes of students (Silva, 2020). According to Christophel (1990), he stated that if a teacher can motivate his students well, he can be able to make them remain focused in the classroom so that they attain their scholastic objectives and make them realize their academic potential. Thus, teachers need to opt for frequent professional development in the theoretical realm of student motivation to understand human behavioral analysis. One of the most useful ideas for motivating students can be found in the ARCS model designed by an educational psychologist, John Keller, in 1979. It highlights four domains of the ARCS model attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction, which are essential for a meaningful application of an instructional design choice and for stimulating students’ focus on their studies. This paper critically discusses the aspects of the ARCS model and discusses its one significant motivational category from each of the four domains described in the ARCS model.

Aspects of the Four Domains of the ARCS Model

The ARCS Model is the process of motivational design with motivational concepts such as Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction, in which motivational tactics are used to provide support to the instructional goals (Keller, 2006). In his ARCS Models, he argued by pointing out that the existing practices are concerned more with external stimuli, and he pointed out that intensive attention needs to be directed to what motivates the learner. By using ARCS Models, students will be able to get motivated to learn and participate well in real classroom situations. It not only increases their motivation in classroom learning but also boosts their productivity, whereby the teacher would be able to sustain motivation using the four motivation categories by Keller (Teachings in Education, 2018). The following are the four domains of the ARCS models:

Attention

This domain is concerned with holding the interest and attention of the learner with the materials used in the classroom, which is considered the most essential aspect of teaching. According to Keller, attention can be gained either through perceptual arousal or inquiry arousal (Gagne, Briggs, and Wager, 1992). Under perceptual arousal, the teacher should gain the attention of learners by using surprise, doubt, or uncertainty, and under inquiry arousal, the teacher should stimulate the learner’s curiosity by providing challenging questions or problems to solve (Pappas, 2015). The methods involved in grabbing attention should be with the use of variabilities such as involving learners for active participation, using humor, conflict, or congruity to contrast their past beliefs, using visual stimuli or stories, using varied media, brainstorming activities, providing specific examples, promoting inquiry and taking students for the field trip.

The Role of Inquiry Arousal as A Beneficial Application

Among perceptual arousal, inquiry arousal, and variabilities in an instructional design choice, the most preferred choice should be inquiry arousal because it serves as a meaningful and successful application for an instructional design choice. Since inquiry arousal begins with a problem situation, learners will be engaged in resolving the problem through knowledge-seeking behavior (eLearning Snippets, n.d.). The question, such as, “How can I stimulate an attitude of inquiry?” is involved in which the process of motivating is more focused than simply what shall be done. During the inquiry arousal, paradoxes are created along with asking questions to promote thinking challenges and brainstorming activities, which are pertinent. Moreover, kind research is stimulated in the classroom by motivating students with the priority of arousing curiosity at the forefront by engaging them actively and making them investigate (Karageorgakis, 2019). It not only motivates them to learn but also promotes their critical thinking. Most students enjoy doing things themselves rather than simply listening to the teacher.

On the contrary, since perpetual arousal depends on the concept that students can pay attention when a sudden event occurs in their environment, it can be sometimes transient and can lack content. A kind of habituation may occur due to stimuli based on the changing environment. On the other hand, variability is more about keeping attention alive than gaining it. The lesson will be successful if it is started with proper attention to which inquiry best serves it.

But we also foresee challenges in inquiry arousal. While provoking curiosity through inquiry arousal, if students are overloaded with thinking challenges, they may experience excessive stress and may avoid novelty. Instead of getting curious, learners may start defending themselves. Thus, teachers should be careful when choosing curiosity arousal questions.

Relevance

This domain caters to establishing relevance so that learners are motivated during the lesson. Kellers (2000) stated that if the learners were not able to derive the perceived value of the content taught, even if curiosity was aroused by the teacher, the learners wouldn’t be motivated. In such cases, teachers should be able to connect the content to the learner’s important goals while teaching the content (Kellers, 2000) such as their past and future interests based on their future interests to ensure a productive learning process (Mowbray, 2020). For this, the teacher should use appropriate language and provide concrete examples that learners are familiar with. According to Keller, the content taught to learners can be made relevant to learners through goal orientation, motive matching, and familiarity (Gagne, Briggs, and Wager, 1992). Under goal orientation, teachers should ask them questions like, “How can I best meet my learners’ needs? Do I know their needs?” (Gagne, Briggs, and Wager, 1992). Learners are communicated with their learning goals so that they can achieve success in life. It can be done by explaining to them how the objective of the lesson can be used as a tool for their everyday lives. Under motive matching, the motives of every learner are matched with the learning goals by identifying their needs with appropriate options to accommodate them. Under familiarity, the learners are engaged in relating the content taught in the classroom to their personal experiences, values, and interests.

The Role of Goal Orientation as A Beneficial Application

Among goal orientation, motive matching, and familiarity with an instructional design choice, the most preferred choice should be goal orientation to attain motivation through relevance because it helps learners to identify in what way the lesson would benefit them. It influences learners’ behavior and performance my motivating them to learn through meaningful engagement in the classroom. The question under this category, “Do I know their needs?” will enable the teacher to constantly find ways to help and motivate learners through new skills and information so that they can be able to solve problems to meet their desired needs through the application of skills they already have (Hogle, 2017). Without knowing the needs of the learners, we cannot proceed well with other activities in the classroom. The behavior modeling process will be going during identifying their needs, and finally, relevance will be established. In doing so, learners will be helped to define their goals individually by making connections with their perceptions so that they get a clear concept of ends vs means orientation and make connections with the content taught.

On the contrary, since the category “motive matching” is about aligning their basic motivation and the category “familiarity” is about building recognition through their personal experience, sometimes the communication with the learners may not align with our intended perceptions as learners come to form different beliefs, upbringing, preferences, biases, etc. and changing their mind can be a difficult task. Moreover, providing them with options to have control over their own learning may not meet the expectations of the learning goals due to learners’ different levels of motivation and abilities. The teacher should match their learning style with the appropriate use of the language to make the delivery relevant to the learners.

But we can also see some challenges in goal orientation. The research carried out by Dweck on the goal orientation theory tells us that the personal goals set by an individual would create the mental framework in which the goal set by oneself is always preferred over goals, beliefs, and behaviors directed by others (Wang, Song, Chen and Yuan, 2021). Thus, sometimes showing how knowledge will guide them for tomorrow might be challenging while using job-related content in the classroom.

Confidence

According to the ARCS models, the confidence model focuses on infusing confidence in learners by making them believe in abilities that they can take responsibility for attaining success. The moment they don’t believe in themselves, they lose their motivation. The teachers should establish a kind of positive expectation from students to achieve their goals. Often, we see learners in the classroom with low confidence levels because they are mostly unaware of what is expected from them (Kellers, 2000). Confidence in students becomes strong if the teacher makes his learners fully aware of the course requirements by making them clear to them. Moreover, the teacher should make them understand that success can easily be achieved. Teachers should never make learners feel that success happens due to external factors like luck. Instead, they should believe that it happens when they attain success through the situations they undergo. To enhance confidence in learners, Keller suggested three sub-categories of learning requirements, success opportunities, and personal responsibility as a medium to boost confidence in learners (Gagne, Briggs, and Wager, 1992). Under learning requirements, teachers familiarize the set criteria to students on what is expected from them. This makes learners know what to do and what not to do. Under success opportunities, learners are provided with multiple challenging opportunities to participate in classroom activities and help them by providing constructive and summative feedback for success. Finally, under personal responsibilities, teachers allow learners to attribute success based on their own effort so that they realize their achievements. But teachers should not forget to praise and reward them for their success.

The Role of Success Opportunities as A Beneficial Application

Among learning requirements, success opportunities, and personal responsibility in an instructional design choice for confidence, the most preferred choice should be the success opportunities. It is because learners are provided with opportunities to learn and succeed in many ways by taking on multiple tasks that challenge them. They get personal control while taking the opportunities to stretch themselves. In doing so, they will be taking secure steps in chunks to ensure that they grow confident with each success they attain. Teachers help the learners during the course by facilitating the learning processes positively and providing constructive feedback and suggestions. Confidence is evident when learners are involved through various means through the positive experience of success so that they can build their competence to a greater extent in terms of their abilities to learn what they have experienced.

On the contrary, sometimes, the performance requirement with the use of evaluation criteria can be oppressive (Changing Minds, n.d.) because when they are not able to achieve the desired standard, their confidence may go down, and may feel that they are not capable in comparison to others in the class. Similarly, sometimes leaving learners for personal control on what they do may let them go off-track, and deviating from the success road and gaining confidence may become delicate. Careful attention from the teacher is required in both cases and learners should be provided the tasks in chunks so that it encourages them to do the task and get the success in succession.

But we can also see some challenges in success opportunities due to so many factors such as emotional challenges in students, different learning challenges in students, lack of effective communication skills, lack of motivation from peers, endless extended tasks, etc. The teachers should consistently motivate learners by organizing varied activities and encouraging students to participate actively during the learning process so that their interest multiplies and gain confidence accordingly.

Satisfaction

Satisfaction plays a vital role in getting encouraged during the learning process and it happens when learners can feel some impact from their learning. If the learning outcome is successful, the learners will be satisfied and motivated, and their desire to learn increases. To enhance satisfaction in learners, Keller suggested three sub-categories such as natural consequences, positive consequences, and equity as a medium to boost satisfaction in learners (Gagne, Briggs, and Wager, 1992). The category of natural consequences is also referred to as intrinsic reinforcement, encouraging students to have joy and pleasure while learning and achieve a higher level of success in achieving their goals. It can be done by providing encouragement and providing some tips that are useful to the learners. The teachers should provide meaningful opportunities to the learners during the learning process in the classroom using their newly acquired knowledge (Gagne, Briggs, and Wager, 1992). They should be rewarded or praised for any accomplishment they make so that they can boost their satisfaction from the content learned and develop a sense of achievement based on the effort they made. Such practice makes them satisfied with the action they have put in. The second category is the positive consequences, which are also referred to as extrinsic rewards. It is concerned with giving direct rewards or encouragement to the learners on their achievement (Kurt, 2021). Teachers should know that, while providing feedback to the learners, it should be positive and constructive. Providing certificates can be some of the rewards that teachers can provide to learners. Finally, the last category under satisfaction is equity. The teacher should always maintain equity between the learning outcomes and the learning objectives. While taking any kind of test, teachers should never test learners away from what is taught to them, but it should be based on what is taught to them. It means that consistency should be maintained at all times to maintain the standards so that learners attain satisfaction as others do (Changing Minds, n.d.).

The Role of Natural Consequences (Intrinsic Reinforcement) as A Beneficial Application

From natural consequences, positive consequences, and equity in an instructional design choice for confidence, the most preferred choice should be the natural consequences, which are also called intrinsic reinforcement. External reward gives temporary happiness to any person, but through natural consequences (intrinsic reinforcement) learners are motivated through rewards from within. This makes them feel that education is a choice, not a requirement. Teachers can ensure the psychological needs of the learners effectively by providing autonomy and competence in learning as it connects learners with something they value through inspiration (Workstar.com, 2022) because imposed consequences are not used, which often demotivates learners. In such a case, students can enjoy the relationship bond that exists with their teacher and feel open. When there is no power, no resentment, no fraction, no apathy, and no order (Crucial Dimensions, 2015) in the classroom, students find it safe during the learning process and get motivated to learn. A learner needs satisfaction in their mind if they want to be motivated, and it is through natural consequences, that they can attain it because it promotes positive and intrinsic feelings of satisfaction with them (Keller, 2020). It ultimately makes learners feel that they are supported and encouraged.

On the contrary, positive consequences (Extrinsic motivation) can never motivate in the manner natural consequences do. It is external that only makes learners focus on the consequences, not on the action, which can often result in dysfunctional behavior from the learners’ end (Changing Minds, n.d.). In such cases, students end up having fear in their minds that never supports motivation and satisfaction.

But natural consequences have some challenges due to so many factors. Such consequences are mostly intangible in that the teacher can’t be able to quantify how satisfied a learner is and how much satisfaction a learner needs to be motivated (AttendanceBot Blog, n.d.).

Conclusion

Despite some of the challenges we see in Keller’s ARCS model, this model is practical in that every teacher can adapt and make the learning environment and classroom instruction more effective than any other model. ARCS models have the intensity to motivate learners most flexibly because they can be implemented in any manner in any situation using a variety of strategies. Moreover, this model is easy to use in the classroom situation by any teacher.

 

 

References

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