A Quick Guide To Student Engagement
A QUICK GUIDE TO STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
If you walk in the classroom during a lecture and find students either texting and talking the whole time or spending the period with their head down and scribbling, then you are not alone.
Trust me, every teacher or professor has that student, one whose mind wanders everywhere, except the classroom.
But what engages students? This is one of the most frequently asked questions in the education sphere. After all, the more the students connect with the university, the better.
Undoubtedly, institutions play an important role in the student's life and experience, and the solution to this challenge lies in their hands.
This quick guide to student engagement will help you learn how student engagement can transform the university experience for the better.
What is student engagement?
You might be familiar with the term student engagement, but to put it into words, student engagement is the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion students show towards learning and overall participation within the university.
Not only it empowers the student to practice their skills and build a successful future in regards to their career, but also provides the knowledge required for their growth, helping them develop a greater sense of responsibility while working on their overall personality.
What makes student engagement successful is the collaborative approach of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement.
Today, we share some ideas and activities that can elevate student engagement:
Active learning
There is no doubt that in this ever-changing world, the institutions that know how to adapt and teach most efficiently and effectively, will gain the upper hand.
What better way of learning than promoting student participation in these classroom activities?
The best way to begin is to find things they are interested in, conducting case studies, scavenger hunts, role plays, or even implementing learning by teaching sessions. These are some examples of fun activities that will keep the energy flowing.
Soon their new motto will be: “I shall participate, I shall contribute, and in so doing, I will be the gainer”. – Walter H. Annenberg
Discussion and brainstorming activities
Another method that will refresh the student while avoiding boredom is encouraging them to partake in open discussions, promoting a creative way of thinking. Including brainstorming activities can also help students develop their ideas and come up with solutions.
Brainstorming gives students a chance to create connections between what they already know and the new topics they are currently learning. Other activities include simple quizzes, trivia, group discussions, debates, presentations, poster design, questions of the day, etc.
Technology-driven classes
Student engagement has been heavily affected by Covid-19, with students no longer being able to attend a physical classroom. And now, with some restrictions still in place and an unprecedented future for education, universities must invest in technology and innovation.
How do you keep students engaged when a lot of lectures are still taking place online?
A well-developed online learning system with flexible academic programs is essential during these times and through the transition to a possible hybrid campus. However, institutions will have to put some effort into nurturing the social aspect of the university experience.
One way to keep the campus alive is to boost the co-curricular offer of the university. Most universities already have multiple growth opportunities available for the students, but they are often overlooked.
Building a virtual community that enables students to connect, take initiative and participate in extracurriculars more actively, might be the perfect solution.
Students who get involved in associations and activities outside the classroom often develop professional and interpersonal skills that they wouldn’t learn during a lecture. These skills and connections will make a difference when transitioning into the professional world. As it is well said,
“Provide an uncommon experience for your students and they will reward you with an uncommon effort and attitude.” – Dave Burgess.