Keeping Students Engaged in Physically Distanced Classes

A wealth of research suggests the benefits of students working collaboratively in small groups. However, It will likely be challenging to engage students in our face-to-face classes in ways similar to those of the past. First, students may be seated several feet apart while wearing face coverings. Second, there is a reasonable chance that while one group of students is with you in the face-to-face session, another group is attending virtually—either synchronously or asynchronously. Without microphones placed throughout the room, it is nearly impossible for virtual students to hear what students in the room are saying. This means small-group and whole-class discussions will likely not work well. Unfortunately, one-way delivery of information is also not likely not going to be the best use of your face-to-face class time with students (McGee & Reis, 2012), especially if this time is significantly decreased. Given these very definite possibilities, let’s consider other ideas that can be used to keep students engaged and connected.

 

Online Microlectures

Although we are considering student engagement and connection, we would be remiss if we didn’t begin by mentioning microlectures. For teaching that involves direct instruction or one-way delivery—for example, the times in which you provide explanations of key ideas or demonstrate common types of problem solving in your field—consider creating microlecture videos that may be housed online for students to watch on their own time. Brief, topical videos in which you present a main idea, allow students to gain important information in manageable chunks. This information can later be expanded or applied during face-to-face classes. You can hold students accountable for watching such videos by providing note-taking guides, requiring low-stakes quizzes pertaining to the content, or embedding especially relevant information such as, “This would be ideal to include in assignment two,” or “This is the type of question you can expect to see on the upcoming exam.” Another bonus to recorded microlectures? In the event that classes move fully online, you already have a library of materials available.

 

Making Effective Use of Your Face-To-Face Class Times

It is always important for us to consider effective use of face-to-face class time, but it seems especially important now that we might only see a student in our physical classroom space one day a week. Suddenly this contact feels especially important and we want to make the most of this time so that all students benefit from these limited face-to-face experiences.

 

Practice and Feedback—We tend to think of active learning as being physical, but active learning is also identified as something that causes students to think deeply about a subject (Bonwell & Eison, 1991).  Supplying problems or offering case studies and scenarios in which students apply the content gained via readings or microlecture videos is engaging and active. Students can attempt to solve a problem on their own and then see how you approach it or they can attempt a problem and receive checkpoint answers to compare with their own. They can highlight the notable items in a scenario before you share what you considered important. They can watch a brief video clip and analyze it based on a particular theory or model before you share your work on this task. In each situation, students are able to practice a task and receive feedback by comparing their attempts with yours.  

 

Demonstrate Models of Organization—Novice learners rarely have the complex mental structures of experts (Ambrose, et al., 2010). Use face-to-face time to help students create more robust mental connections. Constructing time lines, mind maps, concept maps, or completing other graphic organizers pushes students to connect ideas across content and classes. Afraid that students are thinking formulaically rather than conceptually about problem types? Post three problems and ask them to note commonalities and differences. Do you suspect that students are relying too heavily on memorization? Name a theory and have them provide real-life examples. All of these ideas help students make deeper connections that create stronger mental models.  

 

Pose Interesting Questions—Generate interest and gain insight into students’ thinking through the use of interesting questions and a student response system. There are a variety of systems available (iClicker, Turning Point Clickers, TopHat, and Poll Everywhere, etc.), and some instructors on campus even use colored pieces of cardstock as a low-tech version. There are many types of questions that can be used to instill curiosity and promote deep thinking about content. An important caveat: If your face-to-face session simply repeats the content of readings or microlecture videos, students will learn that they do not have to complete those readings or videos.

   

Just-In-Time-Teaching— Prior to class, have students respond to a question that reveals their current thinking or that gauges their current areas of struggle. Then use this information as the guide for your face-to-face teaching. For example, if a number of students express confusion about a particular concept, begin class by offering further explanation. Or, if many students miss a particular problem on a recent quiz, provide similar types of problems that can be practiced in class when you are there to offer support.

 

Offer a Challenge that Prepares Students for Future Learning—Build anticipation for upcoming content by sharing a challenge that can be addressed once students learn the information contained in upcoming content. Research suggests that even when students incorrectly try a solution or make inaccurate predictions, their learning is strengthened in the attempt (Brown, et al., 2014).