#  Engaging Students 

 



##  Engaging Students 

Oftentimes before students can engage deeply with complex ideas, they must be engaged by their instructor. This becomes challenging considering the mismatch between the length of a typical lecture period (one to three hours) and the average student attention span in a traditional lecture class (about 15 minutes). As a result, instructors must be creative in getting and keeping student engagement. While some instructors design lectures that resemble choreographed performances to capture students’ attention, this is certainly not the only way to engage an academic audience. Engaging lecturers draw on a range of strategies to captivate their students. They infuse lectures with activities, sequence materials to pique students’ interest, and allow student contributions to shape discussions, building rapport and fostering meaningful analysis of course content in the process.

What types of strategies and activities can we use in lectures so that student attention does not wane? How can we make certain that students leave class with the most important takeaways? How do we ensure that student contributions and questions are acknowledged in a way that encourages them without derailing our lesson plans? In these videos, featured professors discuss how they engage students in their lecture-based courses.



 

 

 

       ![bg](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_28_10__1920x685/public/instructionalmoves/files/bg_engaging.jpg?itok=p1k0fMVx) 

 

 



 

 



 

##  How can I plan for an engaging class session? 

 



  [### Employing handouts as a study guide to highlight important concepts

 ](/employing-handouts-study-guide-highlight-important-concepts) 

   ![Students flipping through handouts](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.4.jpg?itok=BLDxJ41s) 

 



 

 

   [### Getting students mentally ready for class

 ](/getting-students-mentally-ready-class) 

   ![Side shot of Professor Grotzer at the front of the classroom and students listening.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/gr_002.jpg?itok=hIeM0qck) 

 



 

 

   [### Planning ahead to facilitate the inclusion of student contributions

 ](/planning-ahead-facilitate-inclusion-student-contributions-0) 

   ![Student sharing ideas in class](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.2.jpg?itok=sibeghOd) 

 



 

 

   [### Providing multiple ways for students to engage in class discussion

 ](/providing-multiple-ways-students-engage-class-discussion) 

   ![Close up of student with microphone responding to Professor Grotzer.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/gr_007.jpg?itok=AKlT33qT) 

 



 

 

   [### Regulating the flow of energy in the classroom

 ](/regulating-flow-energy-classroom-0) 

   ![Small group of students conversing](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.3.jpg?itok=6-NM4vHk) 

 



 

 

   [### Sequencing materials to build student energy and excitement

 ](/sequencing-material-excite-and-challenge-students) 

   ![Students raising hands](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.1.jpg?itok=cM1KD9lv) 

 



 

 

   [### Using the iPad for interactive problem solving

 ](/using-ipad-interactive-problem-solving) 

   ![Dan Levy handing off iPad to student](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.5.jpg?itok=y47ucgcU) 

 



 

 

  

 

 

 

 

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##  How can I execute my plans to ensure students stay engaged? 

 



  [### Breaking up lecture with frequent questions

 ](/breaking-lecture-frequent-questions) 

   ![Student answering question](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.6.jpg?itok=eDceLcEV) 

 



 

 

   [### Capturing students’ contributions on the board

 ](/capturing-students%E2%80%99-contributions-board) 

   ![Paola Arlotta writing on the whiteboard](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.8.jpg?itok=yMArIiav) 

 



 

 

   [### Circulating the room to elicit participation

 ](/circulating-room-elicit-participation) 

   ![Dan Levy circulating the classroom](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.9.jpg?itok=2QqENQFw) 

 



 

 

   [### Engaging with small groups to deepen discussions

 ](/engaging-small-groups-deepen-discussions) 

   ![Professor Grotzer joining in on small group discussion. Graduate students in foreground and background engaged in discussion.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/gr_005.jpg?itok=UHRF0kxP) 

 



 

 

   [### Giving students enough space and time to reflect

 ](/giving-students-enough-space-and-time-reflect) 

   ![Close up of three female graduate students engaged in discussion as small groups work behind them in the classroom.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/gr_003.jpg?itok=98zj5BI8) 

 



 

 

   [### Making adjustments on the fly to keep lectures “organic” 

 ](/making-adjustments-fly-keep-lectures-%E2%80%9Corganic%E2%80%9D) 

   ![Brett Flehinger flipping through lesson plan](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.11.jpg?itok=W999yaSq) 

 



 

 

   [### Providing wait-time for students to process and gain confidence

 ](/providing-wait-time-students-process-and-gain-confidence) 

   ![Classroom of students waiting to respond](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.7.jpg?itok=Wmi8FQAM) 

 



 

 

   [### Taking the classroom temperature

 ](/taking-classroom-temperature) 

   ![Show of hands from the classroom](/sites/g/files/omnuum10466/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/instructionalmoves/files/2.1.10.jpg?itok=cHVF5g6Q) 

 



 

 

  

 

 

 

 

##  What does the research say? 

- According to Prince, activities that engage students in the learning process are associated with higher levels of student engagement ([2004](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2004.tb00809.x/abstract))
- Compared to lectures alone, activities promoting active learning are associated with lower failure rates and increased exam performance [(Freeman et al., 2014)](http://www.pnas.org/content/111/23/8410.short)
- A sense of autonomy and some control over course content are important components in student motivation ([Deci & Ryan, 2000](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1449618))



 

 Further Print Resources Further Online Resources  

## Further Print Resources

- [Barkley, E. F. (2020). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. 2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons.](https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Student%20Engagement%20Techniques:%20A%20Handbook%20for%20College%20Faculty,%202nd%20Edition-p-9781119686897)  
    Barkley provides several techniques that instructors can use to maintain student engagement.
- [McKeachie, W., & Svinicki, M. (2013). McKeachie's teaching tips. United Kingdom: Cengage Learning.](https://www.cengage.com/c/mckeachie-s-teaching-tips-14e-mckeachie-svinicki/9781133936794/)  
    Chapters 5 and 6 guide instructors on the uses of lectures and lecture organization. In addition, McKeachie and Svinicki address what instructors can to do maintain student attention (p. 66-68).
- [Zakrajsek, T. D., and Nilson, L. B. (2023). Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors, 5th Ed. John Wiley & Sons.](https://www.wiley.com/en-ae/Teaching%20at%20Its%20Best:%20A%20Research%20Based%20Resource%20for%20College%20Instructors,%205th%20Edition-p-9781119860228)  
    Chapter 12 provides an overview on the objectives of lectures (p. 113-125)

 

 

 

## Further Online Resources 

- The Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning at Yale has good advice for ["Preparing a Lecture"](https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/teaching/teaching-resource-library/preparing-a-lecture)
- University of Michigan's Center for Research in Learning and Teaching shares [a list of common Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)](https://crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p4_8) to help instructors “take the temperature” of the room and monitor student understanding
- Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Learning and Teaching provides ["Twenty Ways to Make Lectures More Participatory"](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k6tKbAfmZuKiA42tZ5ifGGxkpw8HRZ7RUc6lHkLYpv4/edit)

 

 

 

 

 

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