What Is Flow In Education?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Every teacher wants students to feel engaged and happy in the classroom. … In other words, teachers want their kids to find “flow,” that

feeling of complete immersion in an activity

, where we’re so engaged that our worries, sense of time, and self-consciousness seem to disappear.

What is Flow Theory John Spencer?

By John SpencerDecember 3, 2017 17 Comments. 1.1k. If we want students to develop a maker mindset, we need to empower them to hit a state of creative flow. Flow Theory explains

what happens when we hit that place of “optimal experience,” where you are fully engaged, present, and focused

.

What is the flow theory in education?

Flow theory is

a useful framework for studying the individual experience of learning through using computers

. In this study, I examine students’ emotional and cognitive responses to distance learning systems by constructing two models to test the students’ flow states.

How do you get flow in learning?

  1. Complete concentration on the task;
  2. Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback;
  3. Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down);
  4. The experience is intrinsically rewarding;
  5. Effortlessness and ease;
  6. There is a balance between challenge and skills;

What is the flow zone and why is it important to studying?

If you’re wondering what that means, flow is a feeling or a state of mind when you’re ‘in the zone’. It’s not limited to studying, but can also

be felt when you’re engaged in any other activity

. In a state of flow, time stands still, and you’re fully engaged in that one task, which becomes satisfying to do.

Who made the flow theory?


Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

introduced flow theory in the 1970s based on research examining people who did activities for pleasure, even when they were not rewarded with money or fame. He considered artists, writers, athletes, chess masters, and surgeons – individuals who were involved in activities they preferred.

What is an example of flow?

The definition of a flow is an act of moving or running smoothly, a movement of water or the continuous moving of ideas, stories, etc. An example of a flow is a steady movement through the development of a research paper. An example of a flow is

the movement of a stream

.

Why is flow theory important?


Better emotional regulation

: With increased flow, people also experience more growth toward emotional complexity. This can help people develop skills that allow them to regulate their emotions more effectively. Greater enjoyment and fulfillment: People in a flow state enjoy what they are doing more.

What is your flow state?

Popularized by positive psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura, flow state describes

a feeling where, under the right conditions, you become fully immersed in whatever you are doing

. … According to Csikszentmihalyi, the human mind can process up to 120 bits of information per second.

What does in the flow mean?

rocking it. Flow, also known as the ‘zone’, is

the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity

(source: Wikipedia).

Why is Flow important in the classroom?

Flow is valuable in school classrooms as well. Research by Csikszentmihalyi and others has found that

flow deepens learning and encourages long-term interest in a subject

. (For more on the benefits of flow in education, read “Can Schools Help Students Find Flow?”)

What activities cause flow?

  • Physical activities such as sports, yoga, dance, and martial arts.
  • Outdoor challenges such as hiking.
  • Music–writing, playing, mixing.
  • Art–painting, sculpture, mixed media, pottery.
  • Photography.
  • Woodworking.
  • Do-It-Yourself projects, such as home improvement.
  • Working with animals.

What triggers flow?

Flow states have triggers, or pre-conditions that lead to more flow. Essentially, flow

can only arise when all of our attention is focused in the present moment

, so that’s what these triggers do—they drive attention into the here and now.

How do you stay in a flow state?

  1. Choose work you love. …
  2. Choose an important task. …
  3. Make sure it’s challenging, but not too hard. …
  4. Find your quiet, peak time. …
  5. Clear away distractions. …
  6. Learn to focus on that task for as long as possible. …
  7. Enjoy yourself. …
  8. Keep practicing.

What are the necessary components of Flow?

  • Clarity of goals and immediate feedback. …
  • A high level of concentration on a limited field. …
  • Balance between skills and challenge. …
  • The feeling of control. …
  • Effortlessness. …
  • An altered perception of time. …
  • The melting together of action and consciousness. …
  • The autotelic quality of flow-experiences: IROI.

What does flow state feel like?

In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in

a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity

.

Ahmed Ali
Author
Ahmed Ali
Ahmed Ali is a financial analyst with over 15 years of experience in the finance industry. He has worked for major banks and investment firms, and has a wealth of knowledge on investing, real estate, and tax planning. Ahmed is also an advocate for financial literacy and education.