One of the keys to successful learning is engagement. In his book, Working on the Work, Phillip Schlechty describes five types of responses students have to the tasks teachers ask them to perform.

We'd all like our students to respond with authentic engagement. If they aren't authentically engaged, we'll settle for ritual engagement, where the student carries out the task but is not really motivated by the task itself. Grades or parent expectations are the motivation to a student who is ritually engaged. We've all seen students who aren't even motivated by grades: they are passively compliant to avoid unpleasant consequences. Then there are students who refuse to do what is asked of them. These students might retreat mentally or physically from the task or openly rebel against the task.

5 Types of Responses

	Authentic Engagement Students who are authentically engaged see meaning in what the teacher has asked them to do. They are motivated to do their best work because they care about the task.
	Ritual Engagement Students who are ritually engaged carry out the task. However, they are not motivated by the task itself. They are engaged because they are motivated grades and expectations of others. The task isn't something the students would choose to do on their own.
	Passive Compliance Students who are passively compliant are the ones who do just the minimum. They have no enthusiasm for the task. The reason they are mostly on task is to avoid negative consequences.
	Retreatism Students who display retreatism are withdrawn mentally or physically from the task. They are not motivated by the task itself or by negative consequences.
	Rebellion Students who show rebellion overtly object to the task. They refuse to comply with the teacher's instructions. They might be disruptive, try to cheat, or negotiate to change the task.

It is helpful for teachers to assess what kinds responses their students had as they reflect on their lessons. It is impossible to have 100% of your students engaged 100% of the time. Instead, even the best lesson will generate a variety of responses. The same student will have different responses to different tasks. A teacher's goal should be to generally increase the amount of authentic engagement in his or her classroom. Periodically reflecting on how students have responded can help teachers craft tasks in which more students are authentically engaged.

In Working on the Work, Phillip Schlechty has taken some of the mystery out of what engages students. In future posts I'll be addressing the qualities that affect engagement that are outlined Working on the Work. Investigating these qualities help us see what kinds of technology engages students and why.