Sean Castle How to Engage Your Students in an Active Learning Process
Five Strategies to Engage Your Students in an Active Learning Process
When I’m teaching an online class, I cannot visibly ascertain if my students are actively reading and engaged in the course materials, until they are involved in class discussions and submitting written assignments. The same is fairly true for teaching a traditional college classroom, except an immediate visual assessment can be made during classroom interactions, such as a class discussion. No matter what classroom environment learning occurs within, students still conduct a majority of their studying on their own. When they come to the classroom, this is often a time when a teacher can encourage active learning and cognitive processing. The following five strategies can be implemented to help promote knowledge acquisition and retention.
Strategy #1: Become a Subject Matter Expert
Consider these questions: How well do you know the subjects you are teaching? Do you still read and learn more about the topic matter?
These are important questions to ask yourself as a means of ongoing professional development. If you would like to find out more about the themes you’re teaching, the time to find out is true away. There is a wealth of online professional organizations which supply professional development opportunities, resources, and webinars. You can also find resources on your own associated with the course topics, to supplement the assigned materials. The more you know about the subject matter, and become a subject matter expert, the stronger your teaching presence will become.
Strategy #2: Share What You Know
When you are interacting together with your students, whether it’s through discussions or feedback, you’ll share your professional experience and real-world examples. This provides context for students as they learn about new or complex topics, which in turn can help them retain that information in long-term memory. Class discussions provide one of the most effective opportunities to share what you know, especially as you provide additional sources. You can discuss strategies and projects within your career that worked well, and even those that were not so effective. What you’ve got learned in your career can help your students learn also .
Strategy #3: Consider Finding Additional Sources
The course materials provided in a classroom are foundational for meeting learning objectives and completing the required learning activities. However, those materials are rarely, if ever, meant to be the definitive source for the category . This includes use of a traditional textbook. As the instructor, you recognize the topic matter and you’ll find current sources which help to reinforce or repose on those required sources. My recommendation isn’t to seek out additional sources only for the sake of getting additional materials. Make certain there is a purpose for the extra sources as your students will be more likely to read the materials if they can find a clear connection to the course topics and learning objectives.
Strategy #4: Be a Leader in Class Discussions
You know how engaging and meaningful a category discussion are often when your students are posting substantive messages and interacting with each other during a substantive manner. But does this occur naturally? For some students it does et al. it doesn’t . This is where you’ll be a pacesetter and show your students, by example, the way to post substantive messages and interact during a meaningful and substantive manner. For online classes, this is often especially important as all students are required to participate and be heard, yet teaching students what it means to supply a substantive responses are often challenging. Leading by example is one among the foremost effective methods of teaching them. In addition, your active involvement within the class discussion can help to stay the discussions flowing within the right direction and permit students to feel included within the conversations.
Strategy #5: Engage Your Students Through Your Feedback
Your feedback has the power to encourage your students to continue to make progress, or it can become something they no longer are interested in reading. Which would you prefer? I often hear from other educators that it seems their students aren’t reading their feedback and if they’re reading it, it doesn’t seem as if they’re implementing it. This means we, as educators, are challenged to find new ways of engaging students in the learning process. I have been using video feedback for a few of my feedback, as a way of connecting directly with my online students. I don’t use a pre-made script either.
For example, if i’m providing discussion feedback, i will be able to open up a student’s posts for the week, and begin recording. I will review the requirements, the expectations, and provide feedback about the posts. I speak during a manner which conveys care, concern, and interest in their well-being as a student. This personalized connection helps to overcome the written word being read and forgotten. Perhaps this could help you as well. The feedback videos are approximately two and half to three and half minutes in length, about the same time I would spend creating my feedback commentary.
Sean Castle is a passionate teacher who loves to see students grow and develop into things they never imagined before. Education provides opportunities. Education opens doors to life!
Sean Castle has 20 year’s experience in education and has worked in various leadership roles since 2007. These include as Acting Deputy Principal, Head of Teaching and Learning and Administration, Head of Curriculum, Supervisor of Welfare, Head of Faculty, Head of Distance and External Education and vast teaching experience.
