Creating an Intrinsically Motivating Learning Environment: Promoting Student Engagement and Intrinsic Motivation

A student commented on the first day of the Camp Sharigan service project: “How did you find this place? We’re around the corner from campus, but it’s another world back here. You said we were working at a free community clinic, but I never….” The university student’s opinions changed while walking into the gymnasium where Camp Sharigan was being held. “Hey, look at this. The kids are going to love those balloons, the bridge, the rainbow, that mountain, and they are going to go wild over those fuzzy little snakes in the snake pit.” Yet, the most interesting comment of all came when the same student said at the end of the first day: “Wow, the kids at my station worked. They were reading better after just one day, but every kid I talked to said he hated reading. I don’t think they figured out they just spent two hours reading.”  Every teacher's goal (even in the college classroom) is to create a learning experience that will make students want to learn. When students are engaged in the learning process, they become interested in mastering new challenges. They remember information and demonstrate more commitment for studying. Students need intrinsic motivation to successfully engage in learning, and student engagement is indeed essential for acquiring new ideas and information. Intrinsic motivation is the key, and it is possible to create a classroom environment that helps students find the desire to become motivated. Academic service-learning combines active learning and intrinsic motivation to form a strong, high-quality intrinsically motivating learning environment that encourages student engagement and learning.