Promote Student Engagement
Why Student Engagement Matters
Engagement is a multifaceted concept that speaks to the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive effort students invest in their learning. Engagement can be passive or active, but it always involves students connecting to ideas and developing deeper understanding. Faculty wishing to enhance engagement must be intentional about creating opportunities during class for their students to work alone and in groups processing and analyzing ideas, discussing and applying concepts, and internally committing to their understanding and the learning process.
Engaged students consistently demonstrate superior academic outcomes. Evidence consistently shows that active learning, a cornerstone of engagement, results in improved academic performance, higher student satisfaction, and increased course completion rates. Active involvement in the learning process, coupled with meaningful interactions with peers and faculty, are key factors that determine student persistence and success in college.
Flipped Learning and Engagement
The flipped classroom is an instructional approach that enhances engagement by flipping lectures (typically delivered in class) and homework (typically done at home). Recorded lectures or other materials are moved online for students to view before coming to class, and in-class time is used for practical learning activities like homework, discussion, problem-solving, and group projects.
The flipped classroom model enhances student engagement by giving students more meaningful interaction during class with instructors and peers. By moving even some lecture content outside of class, faculty can use valuable in-class time for students to discuss, apply, and build their understanding through hands-on activities and real-time feedback from the instructor.
Start Small and Stay Focused
Begin by flipping a single lesson or week rather than an entire course. Choose a concept that students often struggle with to maximize the impact.
Create or Curate Quality Pre-Class Materials
Use short, clear instructional videos or readings. Contact CITL for assistance in developing lecture videos and other pre-class work.
Clearly Communicate Expectations
Let students know how and why the flipped model works, what they need to do before class, and how their preparation supports in-class success.
Design Engaging In-Class Activities
Plan active learning tasks like problem-solving, case studies, or group projects that help students apply and deepen their understanding of concepts during class.
Gather Feedback and Iterate
Check in with students about what’s working and what’s not. Use quick surveys or reflection prompts to guide improvements.
Strategies to Enhance Student Engagement
Whether or not you’ve decided to flip your class, an integrated approach is needed to create the best conditions for engaged student learning. Here we describe five interconnected strategies: Active Learning, Collaborative Learning, Feedback and Reflection, Digital Learning, and Game-Based Learning. These strategies are intended to be mutually reinforcing as strengthening one often amplifies the effectiveness of others.
| Strategies | Description | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Strategies that require students to actively participate in class rather than passively listening. | Improves academic performance, critical thinking, higher-order learning, and knowledge retention. |
| Learning activities where students work together in groups to achieve shared goals. | Enhances problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills, and builds diverse perspectives. |
| Timely and targeted information provided to guide learning improvement and self-awareness. | Develops deeper understanding, increases motivation, and improves performance on subsequent tasks. |
| Strategic integration of digital tools to enhance student interaction and facilitate learning. | Increases individual and group participation, real-time understanding, and overall learning outcomes. |
| Integration of game elements into learning promotes engagement, motivation, and deep learning. | When aligned with learning objectives, games increase critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving. |
Table 1: High-level overview emphasizing the value of developing and using multiple strategies to increase student engagement.