Providing students with reasonable number of choices for the content that they learn or the tasks that they can complete leads to increases in autonomy and therefore the learners are more motivated for learning and performing tasks with better results.
They can choose to engage in the task themselves, for some personal interests and motivations. When students choose their topic or select how to present their work, they are more likely to take ownership over their work and/or feel confident demonstrating their knowledge. To maximize the benefits, teachers should offer students a limited number of options, too many choices can overwhelm the students.
Tips - how to offer a choice
- Assign students to complete five out of ten potential homework problems
- Create a short list of project topics and let students select which one they want to pursue
- Provide a handful of different options for students to present their work - e.g., essay, presentation, blog post, etc. and a tool (digital realisation) of the chosen option
- Provide some choice in the questions students answer on assessments (e.g., answer 15 out of 20 items, choose between different question types)
- Present the choice-making process as part of the assignment — dedicate time for students to research potential topic options, and help students make connections between topics and their own values
(Robinson, n.d.)
Source:
Robinson, C. (n.d.). Does offering students a choice in assignments lead to greater engagement?. Retrieved September 14, 2022, from https://researchmap.digitalpromise.org/ask_a_researcher/offering-students-choice-assignments-lead-greater-engagement/reater-engagement/