Balancing Challenge
Optimal learning occurs when there is a balance between the level of challenge and existing knowledge or skills. If the challenge is greater than the skills, it can create anxiety; if the skills are greater than the challenge, boredom is likely. This suggests that getting students into optimal learning states requires assessing the potential gap between the readiness level of the student and the challenge pres- ent in the learning experience. This sometimes calls for pre-assessment activi- ties, analysis of the data, and differentiating the learning experience accordingly (see Chapters 20 and 21 for more on each of these).