Assignment

Many of the cases in this class are applied experiential cases. This means you will use your own experience to analyze and understand the concepts presented in this course. If you skipped the module home page, you should read it now before you attempt to go any further or you will not understand what to expect from the cases in this class.

Think about an experience you have had where you felt extremely motivated. Then, in a 4- to 6-page paper, analyze this experience according to the following format. Each subtitle represents a different section of the paper. You can use the subtitles as headings.

Introduction: Discuss the topic of the paper and how you will approach it. It is best to write this section after you have written the rest of the paper

Concrete Experience: Describe the experience where you felt extremely motivated. Be objective and focus on just the facts: who, what, where, when, and how - similar to how a newspaper article is written.

Reflective observation: Step back from the situation, look at the experience from your own viewpoint, and the viewpoints of all other parties involved or affected. You want to look at the circumstances surrounding the experience from every relevant perspective. Why was the experience motivating to you? What did others do that increased your motivation? Was the situation (or would the situation) also be motivating to others?

Abstract Conceptualization: Interpret and understand the events you have described by drawing on the concepts, theories, and models in the background material from this module. What behavior patterns can you identify in yourself and others that are similar to the ones described in the material on motivation, values, and/or goals? How do these concepts and principles explain why you were motivated? What general principles of motivation can you derive from this analysis? Be sure to cite all references to concepts, ideas, and quotes you use that come from any outside source.

Active Experimentation: How are you going to put what you have learned to use? How will you use this knowledge to motivate yourself and others? What actions will you take to create a work environment that is motivating?

Conclusion: Sum up the main points of your analysis and the key learnings you are taking from it.

Reference List: List all references that you have cited in the paper using APA formatting. References include materials from the required background readings as well as any outside Internet or library sources you used in researching and writing your paper. If you have APA questions, refer to the optional listings on the background page.