Help students “attend class like they mean it”–that is, to be engaged and more than simply present.

This week’s “Be a Strong Student” message urges students to be fully present in class and to engage. Here are some strategies instructors can implement to help support their efforts:

Attendance and participation

• At the beginning of the course, speak directly to the value of attendance and engagement — share your values and explain what the effects are when students do or do not attend and engage.
• Consider classroom climate policies, such as
  • Remind students to close tabs, put away phones, remove earbuds, and sit where they can see and hear.
  • Plan for “no electronics” activities within your class session (or possibly the whole session)!
  • Keep moving around the room to add “drama” to the class and to keep students on their toes.
• Take attendance every day, and be visible about it: taking attendance models your expectation that students will attend.
  • Consider an individual comment to a student: I’ve noticed that you’re always in class contributing to class. It’s helpful to everyone’s learning, and especially your own.
  • Or, conversely: I‘ve noticed you weren’t paying attention during class. What can you do to change that?
• Make class interactive, requiring engagement
  • Cold call on students so everyone is on their toes
  • Prepare in-class activities for individual or groups to complete
  • Use digital or old-fashioned polling during class
• Give students credit for engagement and participation, keeping in mind that participation can be defined as more than speaking up in class; for online classes defining a weekly engagement requirement can help students stay on track. Say things like:
  • Being involved and active in class improves students learning and grades.
  • The diversity of experiences and perspectives in this class is valuable to everyone, and I especially encourage you to speak up when you have an alternative perspective. I’ll learn from it.
  • Participation does not include only speaking up in full-class discussion; I’m paying attention to how you listen and how you contribute to group activities.
• Make attendance valuable/consequential–make sure class experiences do not duplicate homework or out-of-class activities
• Encourage students to be proactive
  • If you experience challenges with attendance, let’s talk about them and find ways to overcome these together.
• During the semester, reach out to students who are having trouble with attendance, or who are present in body but not mind.
• At mid-semester:
  • Remind students of the value of attendance and engagement.
  • Ask students to reflect on their attendance. Example prompt: Reflect on your attendance and engagement so far this semester, and identify what you should continue and what you should change, and how you will implement this.

 

Note-taking skills

• Guide students in effective note-taking practices
  • Pause occasionally and say you are giving them time to catch up on their notes
  • Model note-taking by writing key points on the board
  • Direct students to write particular information down
• Engage students in note-taking through a guided note-taking activity using google docs or a social annotation tool like Hypothes.is or Perusall
• Give students only partial lecture notes or slides, and have them “fill in the blanks”
• Assign a note-taking activity that you collect (low-stakes or no stakes)
• Make the use value of notes apparent immediately: have students complete a short in-class activity for which they can use their notes
• Make the use value of notes apparent later: allow students to use notes on quizzes and tests (or portions of them).

 

Teaching online?

Feel free to modify and adapt these tips and the message to students to fit your modality. For example, help students in both synchronous and asynchronous courses to “attend class like they mean it” by encouraging them to:

• Practice Zoom etiquette (for synchronous meetings)
• Ensure they have an appropriate space to attend class (synchronously or asynchronously)
• Remove distractions (closing other tabs, choosing a place conducive to paying attention).
• Scheduling time to attend to the work of their asynchronous course.
• Use a welcome message or video to guide students through how your course is set up and how they should navigate your Canvas course.

Engaged attendance extends being attentiveness and note-taking, of course. Instructors may wish to implement other strategies throughout the semester that foster engagement including active learning and classroom community-building. Helping students develop a sense of belonging in your classroom is also important for encouraging engaged attendance as well as persistence.