ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR STUDENTS

(CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, 2002)

First year students in particular struggle with belonging. Connecting with even a single faculty member may play a role in helping students to persist. Students need to find us approachable.

Consider Communicating with Students the Week Before Start of Term: First year students are anxious about the transition to college. They don’t know what to expect. Communicating with students in reassuring ways that describe the course and participation expectations can enhance their confidence as they enter into your first week of class. You can open your course in Brightspace 1 week early, or send a welcoming e-mail with your syllabus at least 1 week prior to the start of term. Many faculty find using CELT’s Brightspace Course Templates helpful.

Early Introductions and Getting to Know Each Other: Learn students’ names and use them in class. Tell them what to call you, the best time to contact you, and how you prefer to communicate virtually. Show up 15 minutes early before class and welcome casual conversation. Invite them to office hours. Learn their expectations for the class and help them to set realistic goals. Ask them to reflect on potential challenges to their success in class.

Build Instructor to Student Interactions: Many first year students want to communicate with us, but are intimidated and don’t know how. Set a welcoming tone. When professors show a genuine desire for students’ growth and success, it fosters a sense of motivation. Building positive relationships with professors and feeling supported by them is seen as a crucial factor in motivating students.

Build Student to Student Interactions: Consider how collaborative assignments and projects in and/or outside of the classroom can not only enhance learning but also build community.

Seek Student Input: Asking students for input on how to best meet their learning needs not only may give you new insights, but it also makes them more accountable to their learning process and can build their trust in you. Consider a 1/4 to 1/3 term (as opposed to midterm) evaluation. Have students choose student liaisons that you check in with regularly to gauge how class is going. Arrange for a CELT Teaching Fellow, or another trained peer to complete a SGID (Small Group Instructional Diagnostic) before midterm.

Using different teaching strategies can effectively capture students’ attention and actively engage them in the learning process. In both the classroom and online settings, consider incorporating strategies to engage students in class and online. The following list is a sampling of common approaches to enhance engagement for students. Contact a CELT Consultant to explore these and other strategies.

Dynamic Lecturing: Lecturing serves important student needs, but not all lecturing is equally effective at engaging students. Dynamic lecturing includes research based strategies such as Classroom Assessment Techniques, formative group quizzes, short case study analyses, etc.

High Impact Practices: Some HIPs can/should be built into a student’s curriculum of study, others into an entire course design, and yet others can be used day to day in the classroom as engagement strategies.

Gamify Your Course: Activities that we find “pleasantly frustrating” can trigger our intrinsic motivations for learning. These challenging classroom activities (just like pushing ourselves to find ways to compete at/win games), are just within students abilities. Consider using student response systems such as Poll Everywhere to check students’ understanding in a fun or competitive way.

Use Appropriate Technologies: Let your pedagogical goals drive your technology decisions. Reach out to CELT for assistance in identifying and incorporating the best Ed Tech.

Peer Instruction: Give students opportunities to provide feedback on their peers’ work or teach a concept to their peers. You can do this in class or use technology such as Zoom, GoReact, and Groups tool to facilitate peer review.