Student Engagement
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This is a page on issues related to student engagement in classes and with learning. There are two sections, Symptoms of Disengagment and Strategies to Increase Engagement. Both sections welcome stories from teachers. See also Teaching Large Classes.
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Symptoms of Disengagement
SOME FACULTY SEE DOWNSIDE OF TECHNOLOGY
Despite the obvious benefits of putting lecture materials online, some faculty have seen a sharp rise in absenteeism that results from students' having access to class content over their computers. Terre Allen, a communication studies scholar at Cal State Long Beach, said that when she posted most of her notes online, attendance in her classes dropped from about 65 percent to only about 35 percent. "Too much online instruction is a bad thing," she said. Faculty at other institutions have reported similar drops in attendance when lecture notes are available on the Web, and many have adjusted their approach to teaching in an attempt to deal with the change. Some, like Lee Ohanian, an economics professor at UCLA, only post selections from lecture notes. Others have resorted to giving more pop quizzes, including test questions that specifically are not covered in the notes posted online, and offering extra credit to students who show up for class. Los Angeles Times, 17 January 2006
Strategies to Increase Engagement
Authentic Projects
Class time can be used in a variety of ways. While it can be important to have time set aside for information transmition, some portion of class time can also be dedicated to student collaborations on authentic projects that provide opportunities to learn in the context of what it means to engage as professionals in the discipline.
To engage students is the key to success of both the students and the teacher. By using blogs, students can become more engaged. Instead of using some form of journal, students can enter an area they feel comfortable in. Many are used to posting on the Internet. By bringing this into a classroom, students that would not normally be reached, will start to look at learning in a different light, and may "not let schooling interfere with their education" (Mark Twain).