Student engagement is one of the most important factors in creating a successful learning experience. Engagement may look different across teaching modalities, the following strategies can make an impact on student engagement regardless of the setting.

  • Creating a sense of community—Students are more likely to engage with instructors when they feel a sense of belonging and their contributions matter.

o   Learn student names and use them to interact with students.

o   Periodic, dedicated time for group work sets the tone for teamwork and collaboration. Students will become more comfortable with their classmates and start to interact with them; we can all learn from our peers in the classroom and later in a work setting.

  • Active learning, rather than passive—As opposed to solely relying on lectures, develop group activities providing students an opportunity to discuss concepts, learn the perspectives of their peers, solve problems in a group, or respond to polls. Providing even a few minutes to allow students to discuss a polling question amongst their classroom “neighbors” builds trust in one another, forces students to think about a solution and continues to build community.

  • Updated and relevant course content—Connect current events or recent professional applications (personal experiences or recent events). When students understand how course material relates to their future career and real-world examples, they will naturally become more engaged. In introductory business classes, scan business publications such as The Wall Street Journal for relevant topics to use in the classroom and demonstrate recent relevance.

  • Provide timely feedback to connect student learning. I use the following hierarchy of assessment to build students’ stake in class concepts; this pattern is commonly applied in each chapter/module:

o   Introduce new material and low-stakes assessment via polling

o   Collaboration activity in a group setting to reiterate material and peer feedback

o   Individual homework assignment  

o   Individual excel-based project assignment

o   Graded exam covering 2 – 3 chapters per exam

  • Flexibility is important to students, when possible. Clear communication and organized materials set expectations, providing access to materials and assessment over a period of time allows students to know and understand deadlines and expectations; however, the flexibility to complete assessments within their busy schedules.