Engaging Students
Class time can be designed around engagement: engagement with the professor, fellow students, and the course content. Below are few strategies and related educational technology.
Beginning
- Create a learning environment where students feel comfortable with you and their peers. Consider using these icebreakers, whether in person or through Zoom’s advanced polls, to support a community of learning. Research shows that a sense of classroom community is linked to student learning, persistence, and satisfaction.
- Start class time with an image, video, news story, or powerful quote related to the day’s topic. This warm up activity can capture students’ attention and help them transition to the subject at hand.
Middle
- Throughout the class session check for understanding. Simple yes or no questions through an instant poll (like TopHat) will show you and your students if they are grasping the content or if there is a muddiest point.
- Encourage student to student engagment through a Think Pair Share activity. Ask students to answer a question on their own, then partner with a fellow student to explore their answers, and finally share their thoughts with the class.
End
- Before your students pack up at the end of class, conduct an exit survey or ticket out the door. Quick formative questions assess students’ understanding of the concepts covered and what may need further explanation in the next class session.
- Create a post-class discussion question in Canvas. After the class session, students can post their main takeaways and ask for further clarification if needed.