Tonights’s Lilly Conference session was entitled “Positive Psychology Best Practices for Self-Determined Learning to Promote Motivation and Engagement” and presented by Edwina Helton. They shared thoughts on positive psychology and student perspectives on engagement and motivation. They defined positive psychology as an area that emerged in the 1990s and focuses on what makes life worth living, motivators, and bring happiness. Positive psychology in teaching considers having a positive impact on students. Helton explained that instructors have to be mindful when bringing positive psychology into the classroom leveraging one’s strengths. Also, Helton spoke about making connections to current events and asking students about their everyday lives. Students make choices and the challenges they face as self-determined learners. Helton emphasized being flexible, using the transparency framework, (TILT), and addressing software concerns with training. Helton emphasized debunking the mythology of happy people and supporting classroom climates that build trust and utilize resources. Helton ended with reflection questions prompting us to think about how to foster positive psychology in the courses we teach.
