Step 4: Applying Concepts Beyond the Classroom

Handouts and graphic organizers can be powerful tools to help students learn new ideas and revisit that learning after class. Tina Grotzer adds another tool for integrating learning with her "connecting forward" activity. At the end of each class, she asks students to look for examples of the concepts covered that day as they go about their lives over the next week. As her teaching fellow explains, “Asking students to go out into the world and test ideas to see how those ideas are affecting them outside of class gives them richer understanding than they would have if they were just confined to those three hours that we have them.”

Profiled: Tina Grotzer, Principal Research Scientist in Education, teaches "Applying Cognitive Science to Teaching and Learning" to 35 students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Takeaway Tips

Model real-world examples of what was covered in class for students. For example, you could open class by presenting a newspaper article that connects to the day’s learning.

Provide students some scaffolding by suggesting particular places or areas where they can be on the lookout for real-life examples.

Related Resources

This Harvard resource discusses the value of real-world connections for student learning.

This resource from Carleton College provides pedagogical guidance for teaching using real-world examples.

This Suffolk University resource discusses the value of and advice for incorporating service learning into course. 

Reflection Questions

Do you currently connect course concepts to students’ out-of-class experiences?  If so, how?

How can you help students think about the ways that the course material is relevant to their lives outside the classroom?

By applying course concepts to their experiences outside of class, students can see the content’s relevance in their lives. In the next video, we’ll explore more ways to make course material and activities feel relevant for students.

Back to Step 3

Continue to Step 5