Are you bored in class?

[franceslievens]

Look at that: scientific proof for something every teacher knows and struggles with.

"Also important, especially for parents and teachers, is the fact that this study demonstrates that the same response – namely, disinterest or boredom – may result from two different, entirely opposite mechanisms. Children are likely to become disinterested if the learning material is either too simple, because the material is either already known or may be picked up and understood quickly; however, they'll also show that same response of disinterest if the material is overly complex, likely because such material is just too overwhelming."

The study from the University of Rochester (Kidd, Piantadosi, Aslin; 2012) tries to quantify which amount of stimulus is exactly right. As teachers we can only guess after the fact.
They also made a video discussing this so-called Goldilocks Effect.

Via Boing Boing. Quote taken from there.

Comments

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

With most of my classes I get both reasons at the same time, just with different students. Because the groups are so very heterogenous the trick is to structure tasks in a way that there's enough challenging material for the 'fast' kids and also stuff that the weaker students can do. Preferably they learn from each other....

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's the theory, but lots of the times I'm not quite sure whether my tasks are challenging enough. Sometimes I am convinced all my failure is caused by not having a proper education.