Just finished reading Dan Ariely’s The Upside of Irrationality. Significant chapters in terms of teaching were Chapters 1, 2 and 3: Paying More for Less: Why Big Bonuses Don’t Always Work, The Meaning of Labor: What Legos Can Teach Us about the Joy of Work, and The IKEA Effect: Why We Overvalue What We Make.
Some of the take-aways include:
- Encourage students on their efforts. Everyone works better if their work is appreciated
- Students enjoy work if they can see a purpose and perhaps even get an opportunity to show off their efforts
- Students enjoy the act of creativity and making. Even if they are following instructions, the fact that they are part of the process creates a stronger relationship with the product.
