Want Assessment to Fuel Motivation? Do This

It is common in PE to see motivation and assessment as separate parts of class, but what if they actually fuel each other? What if the hopes we have for students, to participate, have fun, grow, and build confidence, are more connected than we think?

But first....

Ever wonder why games like Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, or Angry Birds are so addictive? It’s not the graphics, characters, or storylines. These games are often simple, yet they keep players glued to the screen.

The secret is the same principle that links assessment and motivation in PE:

A need to see and feel progress is happening

Students want to know that what they are doing is moving them forward and that success is possible.

However, many traditional approaches to “motivate” students fall short of this deeper goal.

• Playing music might make class fun in the moment.
• Using scores or grades can get students to do what we want, but at a cost (e.g., students tend to become reliant on grades to participate).

These strategies may help in the short term, but they don’t help students see that growth is possible for them or understand how they can improve. Often, they put assessment and motivation at odds instead of letting them work together.

How can we make sure students see that they’re progressing?

Let’s go back to the video games. They get so much attention and engagement because:

• They provide ongoing and timely feedback – Players know whether they’ve been successful and what they need to do differently to improve.
• They offer multiple ways to level up or get better – Paired with feedback, players experience a continuous cycle of “how am I doing?” and “what can I do to improve?”
• They allow multiple attempts to try again – Players get repeated chances to reach their goals. Without this, many would stop playing once they failed or didn’t succeed.

How can we take this same approach in PE?

1. Clarify what students are going to learn – Be crystal clear on the learning goals, not just what students are “doing.” Activities are the vehicle, not the destination.
2. Clarify success criteria – Show students what success looks like. Modeling examples and non-examples adds clarity.
3. Bring students into the assessment process – When students understand where they are and how to grow, they take ownership of learning. Like any skill, this takes practice. Done well, motivation will skyrocket.

I recently ran a masterclass on these topics, and one teacher reached out to meet with me online afterward to discuss their takeaways. They shared how it shifted their thinking:

Inspired by the conversation and what they wanted for their teaching, they later registered for a new online program I launched for PE teachers, which dives deeper into these topics and more.

Assessment and motivation are not disconnected.

If we want students to engage with inspiration while excelling in their learning, it all starts with making sure they can see themselves progressing. Without this, students will disengage and detach from our classes, just as we did with toys or video games that no longer interested or challenged us.