The topic of flow has brought a few things to my attention.  After reading Kristine’s blog post and looking into the psychological definitions of flow, I realized how applicable the visually appealing graph she noted was to my experiences. 

We discussed the ‘flow’ one finds in some sporting activities, including bobsledding and gymnastic snowboarding, but I realized that some sporting flows may actually be more accurately positioned in the ‘Relaxation’ section.  In personal experience, swimming has often been a relaxing activity.  During more challenging practices, I could no longer classify the activity as relaxing exactly, and I was most likely experiencing flow.  When I lacked the skills necessary in some extremely difficult sets, my flow and relaxation were broken and anxiety set in.

This graph also seems quite relevant to the way we learn and complete educational assignments.   Assignments and readings that are quite easy may cause students to react with apathy, boredom, and maybe even relaxation.  More challenging assignments can put students into a flow, if that student possesses the correct skills.  If that student lacks the skills necessary, or at least doesn’t believe he possesses the proper skills, homework can create a great amount of anxiety.

Unfortunately, I don’t usually experience flow when I play videogames.  I now understand that it may be a result of a shortage of skills.