Most teachers daily confront the reality that student attention wanders in class. They can be seen nodding off, sleeping, gazing distractedly at some point other than the front of the room, texting, or working on something for another class. It’s a problem, and one that teachers often find hard not to take personally. Dealing with the emotional reaction engendered by inattention is easier when it’s more fully understood, and here’s an example that illustrates why.
Learn principles and practices you can implement immediately to provide learning opportunities for unprepared students and motivate them to become engaged learners. This program takes a broad-spectrum approach, addressing motivation, responsibility, and communication practices and provides tested techniques to address these key issues.
Modern learners have a different mind-set about education, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to learn. They just go about it differently. During this seminar, you will learn the small changes you can make to your course design and instructional methodology to better engage students and foster accountability.
Online Seminar • Recorded on Thursday, March 28th, 2013
Today, “student engagement” is much more than an academic buzzword. It could be considered the foundation for successful learning. Learn how to promote this essential connection in the new Student Engagement 4-pack.
Student engagement is another of those buzz phrases popular in higher education. As with many regularly used terms, everyone assumes we are talking about the same thing; but when asked for definitions, either we are hard pressed to come up one or what’s offered is a decidedly different collection of definitions. Here’s an article that includes clear definitions and, based on a creative synthesis of research, offers 10 ways to promote student engagement.
We all want a classroom full of engaged and motivated students … but we often find ourselves with something much different. This interactive seminar will provide you with practical, proven techniques for infusing new energy and enthusiasm into your classroom.
video Online Seminar • Recorded on Tuesday, June 26th, 2012
Instructors face a Herculean challenge in managing discussion – whether the discussion is face-to-face or online. To be an effective instructor, it is important to learn how to facilitate discussion, and keep the dialogue flowing without veering off topic.
As the fall semester approaches, it’s time to restock my classroom teaching supplies. It occurred to me that other faculty might find useful these inexpensive tools that I regularly use in the classroom, so I’m sharing my shopping list with you here. The items on my list serve the purposes of creating a sense of community and promoting student engagement.
I dread the moments when I look out into a classroom and see a collection of blank stares or thumbs clicking on tiny keypads: a pool of disengaged students, despite what I thought was a student-centered activity. Recently, I have been considering how teachers (me specifically) undermine our own efforts to engage students.
Dr. Peter M. Saunders, director of Oregon State University’s Center for Teaching and Learning, has heard the horror stories, and understands why faculty were hesitant to use clickers in the early years.