Complete thesis - Murdoch University

Alaina is the most focussed member of the team – both to task understanding and to thelearning environment. Her comments reflect a growing ease with the group environment – awillingness to learn from them rather than only from her own effort.Dermot’s comments are most interesting when compared with his approach in ENG301.There, he was happy to work at the minimal level required, here he expresses concern aboutbeing a good piece of work. Whereas Alaina was most fearful of taking on the role of ProjectManager (and at one stage was in tears because of her lack of confidence in her abilities),Dermot thrived on the challenge (Management seems to be easier than sitting back and waiting...).Markus started out with a lack of confidence in his own previous learning (don’t want to letthe group down), but was very soon able to draw on that (feeling more confident on workingwith requirements modeling for the project). He shone in the latter part of the project wherehis wider expertise could be used to the group’s benefit.These journals show students were highly motivated to complete the task to demonstration/presentationto the client level. Although some suggestions have been previously made,further study is needed to explore why this is so. Weiner (1992) suggests that general studentattitude towards the controllability of the learning outcome (ie externally dictated and beyondstudent control, or within the internal control of the student through effort and personalinterest) may influence their motivation and the level of achievement in the learning process.ENG302 exhibits this characteristic – students decide what form the final assessment willtake. Dweck and Elliott (1983) and Dweck (1986) also suggest that if the student has alearning goal orientation (ie views intelligence as incremental), motivation is increased towardssituations which offer opportunities for increasing competence or intelligence. ENG302provides such opportunities. If, as the studies of Jones et al (1993) indicate, a correlationexists between student theory of intelligence and study habits, then this aspect of studentlearning behaviour should be explored.More interestingly, as students rotated into the role of Project Manager, they (individually)applied what they had previously learnt with regards to learning strategies and approachesto study in order to motivate their group members. A good (observed) example of this wasVaughn’s approach to managing Dermot, who exhibited tendencies towards ADHD (AttentionDeficit Hyperactivity Disorder), by keeping him well occupied for the duration of his(Vaughn’s) management stint!376