---
title: "Practical Strategies to Develop Motivation"
artifact: "highlights"
resource_person: "Luis von Ahn"
resource_person_role: "Duolingo co-founder, chief executive and computer scientist"
vertical: "psychological-literacy"
module: "Motivation and Engagement"
lesson: "Practical Strategies to Develop Motivation"
lesson_key: "practical-strategies-to-develop-motivation"
source: "curated"
source_channel: "TED"
---
# Practical Strategies to Develop Motivation: Highlights

**Resource person:** Luis von Ahn - Duolingo co-founder, chief executive and computer scientist

**Curated from:** TED

1. [00:42] Von Ahn frames unequal access to high-quality education as the problem his product is trying to address.
2. [03:37] Smartphone reach and a cross-subsidised freemium model form Duolingo's access strategy.
3. [05:22] Educational applications compete for time with products deliberately optimised for engagement.
4. [06:13] Streaks turn repeated return into a visible pattern that users may want to preserve.
5. [07:17] Reminder timing uses the learner's earlier behaviour as a cue and stops after sustained inactivity.
6. [09:01] The mascot gives routine prompts a recognisable voice and social identity.
7. [12:15] Repeated-practice subjects fit this approach more readily than explanation-heavy material.