ERIC Number: EJ1059901
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Apr
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0276-928X
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The High Cost "of" Convenience: Satisfying Short-Term Needs Erodes Long-Term Learning
Zimmerman, Dian P.
Journal of Staff Development, v36 n2 p54-56 Apr 2015
Novel ways of thinking often come from the cross-pollination of language from other professions. The term "satisficing" is one such term and is a powerful construct that fuses two concepts, satisfy and suffice, together to explain something new. Satisficing describes the often-paradoxical results that plague decision making. Depending on context, a particular option may be adequate or satisfactory in the moment, while later it is insufficient for full success. While satisficing is an expedient strategy for everyday decisions such as what to cook for dinner in a given amount of time, it is detrimental to human activities, such as learning, that require sufficient investments of mental energy. The author can think of many times in her role as a professional developer when she observed satisficing but had no label for it. Her vague descriptions were either that the participants were going through the motions or that they worked just enough to get by with the minimal requirements. Both stances were counterproductive to deep learning. The author shares examples in this article.
Descriptors: Learning Processes, Intentional Learning, Learner Engagement, Aspiration, Satisfaction, Participant Characteristics, Educational Practices, Educational Psychology, Instructional Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
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Language: English
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