Swimming is very healthy, but drowning is not. From the idea that students need to experience urgency or become curious, the choice often seems to be made to let students tackle issues independently. Choices are then made, such as providing minimal guidance or answering as few questions as possible. It is a didactic approach that can create constructive friction when students feel pleasantly challenged, and that works motivating. However, it often causes destructive friction, where students feel they are not being supported enough, causing them to become demotivated. The nuance lies in the fact that not all students benefit from being thrown into the deep end without clear support. That depends on their existing prior knowledge. For one person it works as a stimulant, while for another it works as a frustration. So challenge students by giving them different choices, but don't let everyone swim in the deepest pool right away as a principle.
Swimming is very healthy, but drowning is not. From the idea that students need to experience urgency or become curious, the choice often seems to be made to let students tackle issues independently. Choices are then made, such as providing minimal guidance or answering as few questions as possible. It is a didactic approach that can create constructive friction when students feel pleasantly challenged, and that works motivating. However, it often causes destructive friction, where students feel they are not being supported enough, causing them to become demotivated. The nuance lies in the fact that not all students benefit from being thrown into the deep end without clear support. That depends on their existing prior knowledge. For one person it works as a stimulant, while for another it works as a frustration. So challenge students by giving them different choices, but don't let everyone swim in the deepest pool right away as a principle.
Peeters, W. & Maij, D. (2021). 33 Tips voor HBO-Didactiek. Advies uit onderzoek en onderwijs. Amsterdam: Boom.