Motivate group discussions using the principles of treasure hunts
Introduction
Small group discussion is a form of active learning that promotes a deeper understanding of a topic and increases long-term knowledge retention (Loveless, 2024). It also helps to develop critical thinking and communication skills (Howard, 2015).
However, engaging students in discussions during a Physical Education (PE) lesson can be challenging. Imagine you, as the student, excited about the PE lesson. But instead of letting you start any activity, the teacher asked you a question to discuss with your partner.
You would feel restless during the discussion, right?
But have you ever conducted a treasure hunt for your students before? If you have, you will find that students WILL actively participate in the discussion!
Therefore, it may be inaccurate to say that students dislike group discussions. Research has shown that social interaction is a basic human need (Chari, 2022), which means our students prefer to learn with their friends.
So why do our students sometimes tell us that they do not like discussion during the lesson? To understand what motivates our students to engage in discussion, we can examine a few common principles of every treasure hunt.
Principle 1 — Problem-based approach
“We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.”
— Lloyd Alexander
Every treasure hunt has only one aim: finding the treasure. Therefore, treasure hunt participants have a clear intention of every action they take. They want to discuss strategies together because they can find the treasure faster.
Like having only one aim in the treasure hunt, setting a clear learning goal for our students is one of the most important elements in cultivating collaborative learning in the classroom (Van Der Hoek et al., 2016).
Imagine a friend beside you right now. Discuss with your friend which transport is better: the MRT (the subway in Singapore) or the bus.
What might happen in the discussion? Would the two of you know what to say? I think you would want to ask me about the context, such as the destination.
Instead of providing context, I included a problem to solve in the question. For example, “We are going to the airport to catch Taylor Swift! We have one hour to get there! Let’s discuss whether taking the MRT or Bus is better!”
Would you imagine that both of you are more motivated to discuss? I guess so.
Why?
Because curiosity is a fundamental aspect of human nature that has helped us survive and thrive throughout evolution. Our brain constantly seeks new information and experiences, rewarding us with pleasure and satisfaction when we learn something new (Miles, 2023).
Therefore, students are naturally motivated in discussion if they are empowered to find ways to meet the learning goals by themselves.
For example, you told the students that by the end of the lesson, they would all be able to use simple footwork to return the shuttlecock from the front of the court.
But as they practised, many students struggled to get the footwork right. It was a good opportunity for you to ask the students to discuss how they can help one another solve their problems in small groups.
As such, the next time you want to use think-pair-share in your lesson, try giving them a problem to solve instead of merely giving them instructions to follow and watch their motivation level.
Principle 2 — A few attainable sub-learning goals
Even when you use a problem-based approach in the lesson, students may still not be motivated in group discussions, especially if the learning goal is not easy to achieve.
Finding clues along the way to find the treasure in a treasure hunt breaks down the difficult treasure hunting task into a few attainable steps. If the clue is challenging, the facilitator will probably help you by giving clues to the clue you are finding so that you will not be stuck at one station for very long.
Using this principle in the classroom, we can write sub-learning goals instead of setting only one learning goal. For example, instead of writing the learning goal as “Keep possession of the ball by forming a triangle”, you can write:
- Able to receive a pass from a teammate,
- by forming a triangle with the ball carrier and another teammate,
- in a 3v1 modified football game
You can tell the students that you want them to meet the learning goal, and you will help them develop the skills step by step. This will prepare them mentally for the lesson.
For the first practice task, you tell the students to practice receiving the pass as they are running. So they get in pairs and practice passing on the move. Besides giving verbal motivation, you should also check if any students find it difficult to receive a pass.
Make sure the challenge meets the skills of the students. You may want to ask them to slow down the movement if they are not competent in receiving the pass, or you may want them to move faster if you think the task is too easy for them.
After the task, everyone should be able to “Receive a pass from a teammate”. You praise everyone for their effort and then put a big tick beside the bullet “Able to receive a pass from a teammate”.
The tick should motivate them to move on to the next practice task — Passing in a triangle
In this practice task, you ask the students to practice passing in a triangle. You also tell them to discuss in their groups how to make the practice task more challenging (such as constantly moving the triangle) or manageable for themselves (such as smaller triangles).
Because the discussion helps the students achieve the sub-learning goal, the students should be motivated to discuss it. It is a problem to solve before they can move on to the next stage of the lesson.
Once everyone achieves that, put another big tick beside the bullet point: “By forming a triangle with the ball carrier and another teammate”. Now, they would be super motivated for the final task — Playing a 3v1 possession game
In the final learning task, motivate them by affirming their effort for coming this far. Show them the learning goal again and tell them you want them to put in their best effort in a 3v1 possession game. Remind them they have to support the pass by forming a triangle.
Because of the defender, the passing and receiving may not be successful for some students. Ask the students to discuss how they can modify the task to make it playable. Help them by giving suggestions if they have never modified practice tasks.
Since they are almost meeting the learning goal for the day, the students should put in more effort to help one another.
Principle 3 — Collaborate from the start
As an organiser of a treasure hunt, I would not want to make it an individual task. It would be very difficult for the players because it is easier to find clues when there are more people to co-construct ideas and split the job.
When players collaborate from the start, they may also work harder to contribute to the team’s success. Research has shown that students collaborating to achieve the learning goal can motivate individual members (Loes, 2022).
As such, in the classroom, you can get students to work together in small groups to help one another achieve the learning goal. As stated in self-determination theory, this would satisfy each student’s autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs (Ryan & Deci, 2018).
For example, you can create a routine for students to work in small groups to achieve every learning goal. When they cannot meet the learning goal, it is an opportunity for them to brainstorm ideas so that everyone in the team can be successful.
Conclusion
The next time you organise a treasure hunt competition for your students, observe their motivation to work together. I believe you will be surprised, even if there is no extrinsic reward at the end of the competition.
Of course, there would be a few students who still do not talk in a treasure hunt. Their quietness could be due to many other issues requiring different interventions.
However, most students would be motivated in group discussions if you use a problem-based approach; plan a few attainable sub-learning goals and get them to work in small groups to help one another achieve the learning goal.
References
Center for Teaching Innovation. (n.d.). Active Learning. Cornell University. https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/active-collaborative-learning/active-learning
Chari, S., PhD. (2022, December 22). Social interaction: A basic human need Drug Discovery News. https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/social-interaction-a-basic-human-need-15564
Howard, J.R. (2015). Discussion in the College Classroom: Getting Your Students Engaged and Participating in Person and Online. Wiley.
Loes, C. N. (2022). The effect of collaborative learning on academic motivation. Teaching & Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 10. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.10.4
Loveless, B. (2024, January 19). The learning Pyramid. Education Corner. https://www.educationcorner.com/the-learning-pyramid/
Miles, J. (2023, May 6). Why are humans so curious? Exploring our inner curiosity. PassionStruck. https://passionstruck.com/why-are-humans-so-curious/
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2018). Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. Guilford Publications.
Van Der Hoek, M., Groeneveld, S., & Kuipers, B. (2016). Goal setting in teams: goal clarity and team performance in the public sector. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 38(4), 472–493. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371x16682815
