AI in Teaching and Learning: Intrinsic Motivation
We’ve launched a semi-regular feature to keep you informed about how artificial intelligence (AI)—especially generative AI (GenAI)—is shaping teaching and learning at Carleton and beyond. We started with our four-pronged approach to developing an AI strategy for your course. To compliment this advice, we’ve been unpacking four interconnected elements of sustainable teaching practices. This month, we turn our attention to the final layer: Intrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation is often described as a learner’s internal desire to engage in an activity because it is interesting, meaningful or personally valuable. While motivation is sometimes treated as something students either have or do not have, learning environments play a significant role in shaping motivation.
This is where the previous layers of the model come together. Relationship-rich environments help students feel connected and supported. Scaffolded experiences build competence and confidence over time. Productive failure creates opportunities for challenge, growth and mastery. Together, these conditions help cultivate intrinsic motivation by supporting learners’ needs for belonging, competence and autonomy.
Today, intrinsic motivation may be one of our most important design considerations. When information is abundant and answers are available instantly, learning cannot rely solely on compliance, surveillance or external rewards. Instead, sustainable learning emerges when students are genuinely curious, invested in their growth and able to see value in the learning process itself.
As you prepare for the upcoming academic year, consider not only what students need to learn, but why they might want to learn it. How might your course foster curiosity, agency and a sense of purpose? The answer may lie not in any single activity or tool, but in the intentional design of the learning experience as a whole.
Have something to share or a question about AI in your course? We want to hear from you! Reach out to us with your ideas, challenges or success stories.
CSAS GenAI and Learning Workshop Available on Brightspace This Fall
Looking to help students engage with generative AI thoughtfully and effectively? Starting this fall, CSAS’s GenAI and Learning Workshop will be available asynchronously through Brightspace. This workshop explores how GenAI can support, rather than replace, deep learning.
Instructors are invited to integrate the workshop into their courses through the Incentive Program. Register for the Incentive Program or contact CSAS for more information about the workshop or incorporating an in-class presentation into your course.