2.3.2: Flow Model

In a circus lesson we can easily teach someone to juggle with 2 balls, passing the balls from one hand to the other. It would take more effort to make him or her understand what’s happening to the trajectory of the balls and develop the body awareness of eye-hand coordination, thus developing real competence that can be used in further learning.

It means that developing skills remains fundamental, but we shouldn’t focus entirely on the result. We should instead try to look at the bigger picture to better understand and to be really aware of the whole process.

A good technique we discussed a lot in the exchanges was the idea of allowing a sort of empty space in the instruction and let the learner fill it: a problem-based learning8 where the participants have to find solutions by themselves, developing problem solving abilities, discovering new ways to use an object or to do a movement.

Content plays a fundamental role in engaging the participants, but how can we maintain the interest and involvement of students, ensuring continuous growth and technical progression?

An interesting model already used extensively in circus education9, which may help to answer this question, was devised by Hungarian-American psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: The Flow Model.

This model compares situations where on one axis there are challenges proposed by the teacher, and on the other axis there are skills already possessed by the students. Proposing a challenge that is too high for a student, who does not have sufficient skills, can produce anxiety and panic. In contrast, if the task is too easy for someone who has a high skill level, we risk boredom and demotivation. The real challenge is to discover how to remain in the middle of these two axes where we can experience Flow. Flow is a mental state in which people are completely focused on the activity, and in this state there is no stress: instead there is fun and satisfaction.

There are some main factors that Csikszentmihalyi outlines as conditions to stay in this Flow: • Teachers and students need to find a good balance between the challenges of the activities and the understanding of one’s own skills. • Clear goals have to be formulated and negotiated, between the two parts, in relation to the activities proposed. • Give clear and immediate feedback, during and after the activities.

With these guidelines we should be able to keep our students in a state of Flow, allowing them to learn in optimal conditions and with a smile!

8 Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered approach in which students learn about a

subject by working alone, in pairs or in groups to solve an openended problem. This problem is what drives the motivation and

the learning. PBL can promote the development of critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills.

9 See also “Look at me!”, S. Desanghere, 2016

high

challenges

low Anxiety FLOW channel

Boredom

Skills (time) high