Based on their responses, students are placed in one of four groupings based on the combination of their skills and how challenging they feel their learning tasks are:
- low-skills/low-challenge – students in this grouping are likely to feel apathetic. These students may feel apathy about learning because they have low skill and are asked to perform learning tasks that are low in challenge. (In the example below: 1%)
- low-skills/high-challenge – students in this grouping are likely to feel anxious. These students may feel anxious since they have low skill and are asked to perform learning tasks that are high in challenge. (In the example below: 8%)
- high-skills/low-challenge – students in this grouping are likely to feel bored. These students may feel bored since the learning tasks that they are given are not challenging enough given their high skill level. (In the example below: 23%)
- high-skills/high-challenge – students in this ideal grouping are likely to experience flow. These students are likely to feel that the learning tasks they are given match their skill level. (In the example below: 68%)
The ideal educational outcome is to have students who have skill levels that allow them to be challenged and engaged in the learning environment, or more specifically students who are classified as high-skills/high-challenge (in ‘flow’). The goal should be to move students from the other groupings into flow.
Low Skills/High Challenge: Anxious |
High Skills/High Challenge: Flow |
Low Skills/Low Challenge: Apathetic |
High Skills/Low Challenge: Bored |
The Replica value represents the results of a “virtual school” comprised of students with the same grade, sex, and socioeconomic characteristics as the students who have completed the survey at your school.
The National line represents the comparison between your results and those who comprise the Canadian norm.
To learn more about how Flow (Skills-Challenge) is defined, why it is important, and how we measure it, read the measure briefing note located here.