Introduction
The term ‘Desirable Difficulty’ was first introduced by cognitive psychologist Robert Bjork in 1994. The theme of desirable difficulty was intended to identify the learning conditions with inconveniences that turn out greater learner retention of content. In simple words, the bigger the effort is required to learn a concept the greater would be the mastery. Desirable difficulties can be challenging and hard but lead to more effective and efficient learning.
A good example of desirable difficulty is Flashcards, which is a widely used tool among students. As compared to simple informative notes, it is usually harder to recall information mentioned on the other side of the flashcard. Therefore, it is considered an effective learning tool and a far better way to retain the acquired knowledge
The concept of online learning has significantly grown during the past decade. The flexibility of time and place in online learning are attractive features for students to switch to online learning. This convenience seems to be in contrast with the notion of desirable difficulty. However, there are some desirable difficulties associated with eLearning that students cannot figure out. Online learning is prized for convenience but carries desirable difficulties for students to optimize learning.
When you are flooded with digital contents how you define your existing level of achievable goals?
Online learning seems convenient to learners. Material can be accessed through a simple Google search. In easy go online learning, when learners dig into the content to find the appropriate material, they may get confused with the flooding content available on any specific topic. It is often difficult for students to identify the appropriate resource for their achievable level. Therefore, online learners are suggested to narrow down their topic to have narrow search parameters. Learn the basics of the topic from Wikipedia or through general search to have a clear understanding of your desired topic and then dive deep into your search depending on your goal to acquire the knowledge in a mannered way.
How difficulty levels and motivation are linked?
Irrespective of ease and flexibility of time, online learning may cause some challenges because of its medium of delivery. It may lead to minimal learning or demotivation of learners when they find learning as a challenging thing to cope with. The difficulty level of the subject matter is linked with the motivation point of a learner. The lesser the motivation, the lesser would be the learner’s interest in getting into that material. To have a helpful learning experience, it is essential to identify the factors that affect the learner’s motivation and engagement in online learning. To create an effective learning environment, the facilitator needs to make competent aspects for learners to keep up the motivation level. On the other hand, in experts’ opinion, the learner should have social learning skills, discursive skills, reflective skills, and evaluation skills to develop collaborative learning skills for online education. Motivation is crucial in online learning to keep pace. Lacking motivation can lead to failure, inefficiency, or dropout. According to Bzuneck (2001), motivation is an internal construct that guides, changes or maintains goals, actions, and preferences. Many studies have been conducted on the respective issue and it is evident that when online learning is more application-oriented and practical, it successfully draws the learners’ attention and keeps them motivated to achieve the learning goals.
How hard it is to master a subject matter without dropping motivation and getting hitting a plateau?
Online learning cannot be a practical alternative to conventional onsite learning if a learner fails to remain motivated. In the context of online learning, two types of motivation exist, intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation occurs, when a learner just explores the knowledge, enjoys learning, and doesn’t expect any external rewards in return. While extrinsic motivation occurs when learners are inclined to perform activities to have rewards in return. Learners usually remain motivated because of rewards and punishments but intrinsic reasons may be more intriguing to make them persistent in learning. There should be manageable challenges, neither too easy nor too difficult. Mostly, self-learners are more encouraged to focus on learning and increase their competence to achieve their goal.