Promoting Student Engagement
This series of videos from the Flex Team presents some strategies for boosting student engagement in the context of blended or online modules.
Some prior knowledge is assumed, outlined in policy documents (below). Please read these first if you have not already done so.
To discuss any of the practical suggestions below in the context of your own practice, please book an appointment with Organisational Development.
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Clarifying what engagement looks like
Students will benefit from understanding what engagement looks like for each of their modules. Being clear at the outset can help prevent confusion and potential disengagement further along the line.
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Giving students reasons to engage
Student engagement often improves when tasks are set in a broader context and learners are given some concrete reasons to engage with activities.
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Designing for engagement
Designing activities with some concrete outputs, however small, will help you spot non-engaging students, providing a basis for targeted interventions. This and other strategies for 'designing in' engagement are discussed here.
Read more:
- Teaching for quality learning at university (Biggs & Tang), especially Chapter 1
- Edutopia: 8 Strategies to Improve Participation in Your Virtual Classroom
- Advance HE: Internationalising Higher Education Framework
Things to try:
- For other active learning techniques, explore SCALE-UP, or Geoff Petty’s 25 Ways For Teaching Without Talking.
- Read case studies on decolonising and internationalising the curriculum or contact CADQ to discuss this approach.
- Watch Designing an Inclusive Module for pointers on accessibility and inclusive language.
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Scaffolding the learning process
Students will often need certain skills and/or experience for them to engage fully with activities. In a blended learning experience, instructional and support elements will need to be written into your teaching materials.
Read more:
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Writing for an online audience
People engage with online content differently than printed content, being more likely to scan text than to read word-for-word. Adapting written content for an online audience is one of the most straightforward ways of removing barriers to student engagement.
Read more:
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Using engaging questioning strategies
Student participation in ‘live’ online sessions can be patchy for a variety of reasons. Encourage engagement by choosing the most appropriate questioning strategies.
Read more:
- Geoff Petty on Questioning Strategies
- Edutopia: 8 Strategies to Improve Participation in Your Virtual Classroom
Things to try:
- Include a NOW Checklist for pre-session tasks.
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Utilising immediate student feedback
Promote student-tutor dialogue around students’ learning experiences; be prepared to adapt in response to feedback received.