A long time ago, when I first began writing this column, I suggested that in order to get something out of an activity, belief is a precondition — or at least, it is a condition that better prepares you to gain from the activity. At the risk of repeating myself, I likened it to going to a movie theatre — “suspending disbelief” in order to immerse oneself in the spectacle of fiction.
The same is true of assignments or projects. Of course, we know these are simulations; a classroom is not the real world, nor is a study table or an office cubicle. Of course, we know that the reward is not money or a promotion; it is just the marks or grade, and more importantly, the opportunity to understand an idea or process, or get better at a skill. So, while you are in a (supposedly) learning situation, why not treat it like something real?
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There are basically two ways to work on a task: mechanically or with engagement (to varying degrees). It is entirely possible that you can get through a task with no involvement and even get decent marks for it. The truth is, many of us have perfected the art of turning in acceptable papers with minimum effort. The argument is, if you can manage it with little time and energy, why put in more? The assumption in such cases is that the task is being done for someone else, the person who is going to judge it — the teacher or the examiner.
Our school system has, by and large, been responsible for encouraging this perception. But, stop for a moment and think about it. The learning tasks are part of a deliberately designed curriculum that aims to build certain competencies and understanding. Each assignment is related to practising or perfecting these. The marks or grades are only feedback for the teacher and student to know how much has been learnt and how well. The real outcome of these tasks is the acquisition of knowledge and skills. And this can happen only with some involvement on the part of the learner.
It is possible to argue that engagement is a mental habit, one that needs to be nurtured and cultivated. To be engaged, we have to believe that some learning will come out of a task; that it is not just “busy work” designed to keep us occupied through the course.
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Engaged learners take assigned tasks seriously, involving themselves in the process without being overly concerned about the outcome. For them, the classroom task is as real as anything that happens in the “real” world of work. So, they are able to reap the intrinsic rewards of an assignment without really thinking too much about it — they actually learn.
The writer teaches at the University of Hyderabad and edits Teacher Plus. usha.bpgll@gmail.com