Student engagement

Teaching academics and university staff address what student engagement means to them and offer advice on capturing students’ attention in an age of digital distraction and keeping them motivated to learn. Find insights on teaching strategies that give students agency over their learning, boost class attendance and participation and help to build a campus community.

By Eliza.Compton , 29 April, 2022

Block teaching: what it is, how to do it and why

With its short, intense courses, is block teaching the way to boost student success and engagement? John Weldon gives seven tips for switching to the block model and examples of what it offers university educators

Reading time

4minutes

By dene.mullen , 26 April, 2022

Naming students is even more crucial in online classes

Naming students in online classes helps them connect and feel that their tutor is present

Naming learners fosters a community in which the teacher is clearly all in and focused on individual members in the unique, shared space of the online classroom

Reading time

4minutes

By Miranda Prynne , 25 April, 2022

Beyond the limits of the LMS: ways to communicate effectively with students

Image depicting ways to communicate effectively with students

How to communicate with students in the online environment in effective and creative ways that go beyond relying on the learning management system, described by Kris Erskine

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen , 19 April, 2022

Do our students need to be book smart or street smart? They need to be both

A teenager with street smarts, but university graduates will need to combine practical and academic skills to boost employability

Employers want talent to jump right in and fulfil new tasks without a lot of coaching. Project-based learning will help prepare students for this new way of thinking and working

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen , 14 April, 2022

Tips on bringing expert professionals to class to support learning

Papparazzi. Bringing in an expert guest to your university classes can help with student attention

Capturing students’ attention can be a challenge for teachers. We propose bringing the real world to the classroom through expert guests, say Gabriela Espínola Carballo and Mariana Elizondo

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen , 13 April, 2022

Five practical ways the literature classroom can help student careers

An excerpt of Romeo and Juliet, a literary work which could be used to teach students career-based skills

Olivia Burgess offers five tips for using literature classes to explore workplace preparation and engage career-minded students

Reading time

3minutes

By Miranda Prynne , 12 April, 2022

Boosting student engagement in an online learning environment

Creating interactive online learning that keeps students engaged

Lack of student engagement creates challenges when language learning moves online. Yuyang Zhao explains how to create an interactive environment that helps mitigate some of the key issues

Reading time

3minutes

By Miranda Prynne , 11 April, 2022

The evolution of activeflex learning: why and how

Image of people learning in different modalities - online, in-person and hybrid learning

The evolution of activeflex learning as a way to keep students engaged online, and how to overcome problems when using this teaching model, by Mark Gale

Reading time

3minutes

By Eliza.Compton , 1 April, 2022

Learning challenge and difficulty: calm seas do not make skilful sailors

Five strategies for university teachers to encourage students to use challenge, struggle and safe failure for effective long-term learning

Reading time

3minutes

By dene.mullen , 29 March, 2022

Students aren’t giving up social media, so teach them how to question it

Fake news and bias can infect social media feeds, so university teachers need to educate students on how to read their platforms critically

Whatever our own opinions on social media, we must educate our students about locating bias and reading their preferred platforms critically, says Stone Meredith

Reading time

4minutes

Student engagement