Classroom Practices that Work-Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition

According to Robert Marzano’s Classroom Instruction that works, the third of the nine instructional strategies proven to increase student success is Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition.

What technology do we equate most often to the concept of reinforcing effort? None other than the Computer Aided Instruction, better known as the “kill and drill” software so prevalent in previous years; it provides immediate response, right? This implementation of technology is a direct application of the behaviorist approach to learning; using software in this way provides the stimulus, response and reward so well, yet research has proven this is not the most effective way to educate students and prepare them for the 21st century.

We must be careful as technology educators to understand how the strategy of Reinforcing effort and Providing Recognition was meant to be utilized outside behaviorist connections to technology of the past.

When teachers want to utilize technology in the implementation of this best practice; the practice of teaching students the connection between effort and achievement, there are several ways technology can play a role.

Begin by asking the essential question, “What does effort look like?” Have students generate a list of behaviors that they believe directly relates to increased achievement. Then using a spreadsheet program, have kids create an effort versus achievement chart. Have students track their progress on the chart using the effort rubric score in one column and academic grades for the assignment in another. In this way, students will begin to make the correlation between the amount of effort exerted and their academic grades.

The other part of reinforcing effort is providing recognition for that effort. Knowing that rewards are most effective when contingent upon the attainment of some standard of performance, and that symbolic recognition is much more effective than tangible rewards, technology can still play a role.

Rewards can be symbolic or concrete. Teachers, who use concrete symbols of recognition, often turn to technology for assistance. Technology can create highly personalized stickers, awards, coupons and tokens. Research shows the more personalized the reward, the more meaningful to the student.

Showing students the correlation between effort and accomplishment is one of the most important lessons a student can learn. The harder you try, the more successful you are. Furthermore, receiving recognition for the attainment of goals not only enhances student achievement, it becomes a motivator as well.