HEURISTIC 1/10
Give teens freedom and autonomy
OVERVIEW
Students have an intrinsic psychological need to feel like they have control over their lives and are able to make choices on their own.
When students feel forced into something, it can create mental resistance, turning an activity into a boring chore instead of an authentic engagement.
Recommendations
RECOMMENDATION 1
Use metaphors and narratives to put things in a third-person perspective, rather than directly criticizing behavior
SIGNIFICANCE
- •If one is aware that someone else is trying to change their behavior, it is likely to make them feel threatened
- •By making a game in which the student plays a role or observes a character, there is a sense of psychological safety which makes the student more receptive to having their attitudes shift subconsciously
RECOMMENDATION 2
Where possible, make educational experiences less serious and "work-related" by embedding make-believe elements
SIGNIFICANCE
- •This create a learning environment that primarily seems fun and whimsical rather than serious and academic, making students more likely to want to come back and revisit the experience
- •This makes the experience feel less threatening and invasive, thus, making it less likely to trigger psychological aversion to change
RECOMMENDATION 3
Make learning fun
SIGNIFICANCE
- •When students are having fun, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to learn
- •Fun activities can help students to develop a positive attitude towards learning
- •Fun activities can help students to remember information more easily
- •Fun activities can help students to develop creativity and problem-solving skills