Special Lecture

Motivating persistence in the face of failure: Technological tools that enhance perseverance and learning

Tuesday, March 5, 2013
12:40 pm to 2:00 pm
2515 Tolman Hall
Catherine Chase

Co-sponsored by the School of Information and the Graduate School of Education

Students encounter countless learning failures throughout their school careers. How can we motivate them to persist after failure so they can continue to learn? This talk explores how technological tools can provide students with the motivation to persist at challenging learning activities, despite initial setbacks. I begin by examining the motivational profile of experts, who generate ego-protective buffers that shield them from the negative ramifications of failure, while still holding them responsible for remedying the failure. I then explore how agent and game-based technologies can provide novice students with ego-protective buffers, enhance persistence, and improve learning outcomes in science domains.

Catherine Chase is a postdoctoral scholar at Carnegie Mellon University with a joint appointment in the Human Computer Interaction Institute and the Department of Psychology. She holds a Ph.D. in learning sciences and technology design from Stanford University’s School of Education. Before attending graduate school, she spent five years teaching elementary and middle school science in public and private schools. Her research interests include sociable learning technologies, computer-based assessment, learning through contrast, and student motivation.

Last updated:

March 26, 2015