Engaging students
Actively engaging students in learning tasks
The prerequisite for any learning is involvement in tasks throughout a program of study. Research tells us that time spent on a task is the most important characteristic of effective learning. Tasks that position all students, not just the enthusiastic or most active ones, to see themselves as responsible for their own learning are needed. Unless students experience some kind of emotional investment in what they are doing, they will be unable to commit to many of the useful assessment tasks that are available.
Class engagement
A wide range of activities can be used, including:
- setting tasks for ‘buzz groups’ of 3-4 students to respond to,
- posing questions to the class which require a response from everyone.
Such actitivities can provide a foundation for participation in the subject matter.
Encouraging participation in classes, even very large ones, is a means of positioning students as active learners and is a prerequisite for any assessment activity that fosters learning.
In large classes, technological devices have been found useful. For example, personal response systems that allow students to respond to questions posed by the lecturer and have the class profile displayed, followed by discussion of answers, are used in a variety of disciplines.
See an example from Biology.
Early involvement and practice
Activities can show students that they understand what they are doing. Such activities require a response (not necessarily formal grades) and include means for a student to judge whether they are successful or not.
The earlier students begin to engage in significant learning tasks during their course, the sooner they can establish effective study habits and develop their capacity to monitor their own work. A balance needs to be achieved between over-organising students, thereby generating dependence on teachers, and leaving them to work autonomously.
Judging samples of others' work
A common exercise used in first year in many disciplines is providing students with anonymous examples of the same assignment from other students. The students are asked to individually grade the assignment and identify the differences that led to the allocation of different grades. Discussion follows about the qualities of a good assignment, how it can be recognised and how they can produce successful assignments for themselves. See ASKe marking workshops.
This helps students understand the differences between excellent and satisfactory work, without having to expose their own work to critical scrutiny. It also develops a practical understanding of assessment standards and criteria through an activity that benefits students as they see how work gets marked by tutors.
+Variation: Provide students with standards and criteria and ask them to use these in the grading process. Follow this with discussion of standards and criteria.
Identifying and developing standards and criteria
Students identify standards and criteria to apply to their own work and that of their peers. They can draw on various sources including their own expertise and experience, the context in which they are operating and professional standards (if available). They agree on appropriate criteria with a group of peers facilitated by a staff member, who may suggest additional criteria.
This takes the appreciation of criteria and standards one step further from 'judging samples of others' work' (see above). Instead of drawing criteria from the work of others, they take their own anticipated assignment and consider how that might be judged.
The activity can involve a structured process, such as nominal group technique, to ensure all opinions are heard and considered efficiently.
