I ended my last post on this blog,“If motivating students is difficult, at least know how not to demotivate them,”with the following paragraph:

 

“It’s one thing to be motivated to start an activity. It’s quite another for a person to remain engaged, involved, and immersed in what they’re doing. The state in which we’d love to see our students is the one we observe in young (and sometimes not-so-young) gamers, who are so focused on playing that they don’t notice the passage of time or the world around them, making the most of their skills. This state, which can occur in any context—not just while gaming—has a name: Flow. Game designers are very familiar with this theory, developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist, professor, and researcher who, sadly, passed away last month [October 2021]. Understanding it is very important for better comprehending the factors that keep a person in—or take them out of—a state of flow. Teachers should also be familiar with it.”

 

All right, then. Let's get into the flow—or at least learn more about this theory.

 

But first, I’ll give you a tip to help you pronounce “Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi”—a task that might be more challenging than understanding his theory. The pronunciation is something like “Mirrái Chisentmirrái.” Didn’t help much? Then you can try a phrase that he himself used to suggest when asked how to pronounce his last name—a phrase that also reveals his first name: “She sent me high.” Oh, right, pronounced in English: “She sent me high.” In a way, this phrase even ties in with the theory, since entering a state of flow is like “being on cloud nine.” 

 

The Experience of Flow 

Csikszentmihalyi and Larson (2014) argue that by analyzing the experiences of people engaged in recreational activities—such as mountain climbing, playing chess, dancing, playing sports, or even composing music—they identified characteristics that make these activities enjoyable:

 

1. focus on a limited range of stimuli;

2. application of skills to achieve clear objectives;

3. escapism from real-life problems;

4. loss of one's own identity;  

5. sense of control;

6. transcending the limits of the ego and achieving psychological integration with the systems.

 

   In systems and activities that exhibit these characteristics—even if they are not necessarily playful—it is common for participants to enter a state that Csikszentmihalyi (1990) termed “flow.”   

“Flow refers to the holistic sensation we experience when we are fully immersed in an activity” (Csikszentmihalyi and Larson, 2014) 

When a person enters a state of “flow,” their consciousness merges with the environment that defines the activity; they operate at the limits of their capabilities and skills; they forget what is happening in the world around them; they feel focused and motivated; and they lose track of time and space. This state is easily observed in those engaged in gaming activities. That is why game designers are very familiar with this theory and apply it, seeking to develop games that enable and foster the occurrence of the six characteristics mentioned above.  

But what’s most interesting—and useful for instructional designers and educators—is that the state of flow doesn’t occur only when people are playing games or engaging in recreational activities, but also in a variety of other contexts. Even in tragic situations—such as rescuing earthquake victims—volunteers become so focused on overcoming the challenges before them that they can enter a state of flow and disconnect from everything that does not contribute to the goal of overcoming those challenges.   

There are people who consider studying a form of suffering, almost torture. But these same people, in contexts other than “studying out of obligation,” probably have a lot of fun learning without even realizing it—for example, when they need to grasp complex concepts or develop new skills to solve challenges in games they’re playing, or when they’re learning all about a particular culture or region while traveling. As babies, we all entered a state of flow and felt great pleasure in experiencing new sensations, exploring, and learning to interact with a world that was so unknown and fascinating.  Why, then, do so many lose this enchantment with “learning” over the course of their lives, and why do they find it painful when they need to learn? Because they were likely exposed to systems that hindered the occurrence of the six characteristics mentioned above and, as a result, created an association between studying and sacrifice. On the other hand, scientists, teachers, artists, philosophers, and professionals who love what they do are generally self-taught and easily enter a state of flow when engaged in learning anything. These people know how to create the conditions for a pleasurable learning experience on their own (they define the scope, set goals, focus, etc.), even when participating in courses that do not serve as good examples of how to create such conditions.  

Let’s now summarize the elements of the flow experience and present some important tips for fostering it, as Csikszentmihalyi and Larson (2014) teach us. Whether you’re planning or implementing instructional activities—or even in the role of a learner—these tips can be very useful to you.

 

Elements of the Flow Experience

 

Element 1: Focused Attention

Stimuli other than those necessary for performing the activity should be avoided so as not to distract the participant.

 

Element 2: Loss of the Self

If all participants accept and abide by the rules of the system established for a given action, a “social system” is created free of questions or deviations, and people can free themselves from “self-centered” concerns. Clear and fair rules are, therefore, essential.

 

Element 3: Control of Action and Environment

A person cannot feel uncertain about being in control of the situation. Therefore, it is essential that the challenges be compatible with their abilities. Clearly defining the environment and available resources also helps.

 

Element 4: Call to action and clear feedback

To experience flow, actions must be clearly and consistently defined, and feedback must be clear, unambiguous, and immediate. As with the other elements, this one also requires that the scope, breadth, and possibilities be clearly defined. In a simplified and well-defined reality, free from the inconsistencies and unpredictabilities inherent in the complexity of real life, it becomes clearer to decide what is right or wrong, good or bad.

 

Element 5: The autotelic nature of the flow state

Just as with games and intrinsic motivation (see my previous post), there is no need for rewards or goals outside the flow experience. It is sufficient in and of itself.   

 

Balance Between Challenges and Skills

To conclude, I’ll address here one of the fundamental points of flow theory, which is the need for a balance between challenges and abilities. This point was already mentioned above, in element 3. But perhaps the fact that this is a dynamic balance may have gone unnoticed—that is, the fact that challenges and abilities are compatible at a given moment does not guarantee that this relationship will last. This is because the very act of performing the activity leads to an improvement in the skill required to perform it. Over time, a person may become so skilled at overcoming that “challenge” that it ceases to be a challenge and comes to be perceived as a trivial task, thus creating an imbalance in this relationship that can lead to boredom and, consequently, to a departure from the state of flow. This phenomenon is well known to game developers. The level progression found in most games is a way to reestablish this dynamic balance, keeping the player within the flow channel, as shown in the figure below. Basically, as the player develops more skills, the challenges are increased to bring them back into the flow channel. When increasing the challenges, care must be taken to ensure they do not exceed the player’s abilities by too much, because in that case the player would become anxious and demotivated, which would also cause them to exit the flow state. 

 

 

As I’ve already mentioned, flow doesn’t occur only in gaming situations, but in this context it’s easier to understand the concepts involved because games possess all the characteristics needed to help participants enter this magical state. Furthermore, we’ve all experienced this state (and seen others experience it) while playing games. But it is possible to create conditions that facilitate entering a state of flow—at work, during leisure time, or at school. If you’re a teacher or instructional designer and weren’t familiar with this theory before, you’ll see how it can be a great help in planning and carrying out educational activities.

 

At this point, someone might ask:    

“Hey, but if games are perfect for putting people in a state of flow, wouldn’t it be easier to incorporate games into the classroom?” 

 

Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. First, because it wouldn’t be feasible—or appropriate—to turn 100% of our classes into games. People also have different tastes when it comes to game styles and genres (a game that one student enjoys may be detested by another). The very definition of a game includes the requirement that it be a voluntary activity (if the teacher makes the game a mandatory activity, it is no longer a game—it’s a task). Of course, there are many situations in which a game is an excellent pedagogical solution. But it’s not a solution for everything. Furthermore, the production costs of a game that meets the quality standards our students are accustomed to from commercially available titles are comparable to those of film productions.

 

But don't get discouraged. There's an alternative that can bring the engagement, immersion, and sense of flow found in games to your classes—without having to turn them into games. It's called gamification. You'll learn what it is and how to apply it in my next article. Until then. 

 

References

CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, Mihaly; LARSON, Reed. *Flow and the Foundations of Positive Psychology*. Dordrecht: Springer, 2014.

CSIKSZENTMIHALYI, Mihaly. *Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience*. New York: Harper & Row, 1990.

 

Learn more about the author:

 

Romero Tori is a member of the Bett Educar Board, an Associate Professor Level 3 at the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo (USP), author ofthe book *Educação sem Distância*, and maintains the blog“Educação sem Distância.”

 

 

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