Without telling her students, Ms. Fosnaught timed how long it took for them to get the assignment done. Knowing how disappointed Ms. Fosnaught was, her students all worked efficiently and cooperatively. She then told her students that, although they had all been complaining about how much time her assignments took, that they had just managed to complete their work in seven minutes. She did not give them credit for the work they had just completed, but she pointed out to them that, had they taken this much time at home, they could have had full credit. Most of the class has been coming to class prepared ever since.
Teachers can also provide choices.
Students may all be expected to master the same material, but they can do so in different ways. Providing choice increases the chances that students will enjoy more assignments. It also helps students feel they control parts of their learning, which enables some to enjoy an assignment more than they would otherwise. Mrs. Harman gave her junior high and high school English students broad leeway in a writing assignment involving time capsules. She asked her students to write something about their present lives that might intrigue their own children around the year 2040.