Fostering Motivation and Engagement in Learning English: Shaping of Mindset and Toolkits Week 14 Discussion of the theory: Digital Immigrants Strangers Warm-up discussion

Clearly describe the project and state the specific outcome.

The outcome of projects can vary widely. Students might create posters, a newspaper or magazine, a blog or vlog, a website, brochures, videos, songs, structures, plays, and so on. Whatever it is, be sure to be clear about the parameters of the product. For example, does the video have to be at least five minutes long? Does the brochure have to be 10 pages and include at least 6 popular town sites? The clearer and more specific the teacher can be about the outcome, the more likely students are to be able to fulfill the requirements of the assignment.

2. 
   Make projects authentic and meaningful to your context.
   

Be sure to choose project themes and types that are meaningful and real for students’ context. Students will be much more motivated and engaged if they are creating products or working with themes and topics that are personally relevant and meaningful to them. Examples of themes include: music, art, science, health, human rights, gender roles, tourist places of interest in a city or country, famous people, climate change, etc. Examples of outcomes or products that students might produce include: posters, maps, booklets, brochures, magazines, newspapers, bulletin boards, videos, websites, games, performances, presentations, and reports. (Alan and Stoller, 2005)

3. 
   Articulate clear project steps and timeline.
   

With longer-term projects, it is essential to break down the larger project into smaller steps. Rather than just give an overview of the project and ask students to come back with a fully-formed product in four weeks, for example, it is more supportive to have realistic mini-goals, interim deadlines, assignments and reports and/or check-ins along the way in addition to the final deadline. There are many ways to structure this. For example, the teacher can provide a checklist, or have students create a checklist, of the steps of the project which are due by certain dates. Alternatively, students could submit interim reports about what they have accomplished, what they have yet to do, and what they might have questions about. Using a step-by-step approach helps ensure that students will make consistent progress instead of rushing to finish the project on the last day. It also ensures that students will put more time and effort into the project and produce a higher-quality outcome. (Edutopia, 2007)

4.