{"id":36515,"date":"2020-01-13T11:13:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T09:13:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=36515"},"modified":"2023-08-10T16:13:50","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T14:13:50","slug":"innovative-teaching-strategies-that-improve-student-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/innovative-teaching-strategies-that-improve-student-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovative Teaching Strategies That Improve Student Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When it comes to higher education, recent findings have proven that student engagement is the most effective means of learning <\/span>\u2013<\/span> outperforming lectures <\/span>\u2013<\/span> but is still the least applied teaching strategy. A study of over 2,000 university classes in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), where nearly 550 faculty were observed while teaching over 700 courses at 25 institutions across America and Canada, found that 55 per cent were still using conventional lecture techniques to teach <\/span>\u2013 <\/span>a style that is proven to be the least effective at teaching and engaging students.1<\/sup><\/span> A mere 18 per cent displayed a student-centred style of teaching with a focus on group work and discussions. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research has showed that student engagement strategies improve students’ learning and attitudes toward learning.2<\/sup><\/span> Student engagement has long been recognised as a key element in student learning and achievement,3<\/sup><\/span> and was identified by the American National Research Council, as far back as 2003, as a critical goal of national school improvement efforts.4<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is student engagement? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The National Study of Student Engagement (NSSE), an annual analysis of student engagement in universities in America, measures and defines it as follows:5<\/sup><\/span> Student engagement represents two critical features of collegiate quality: how much time and effort students put into their studies and other educationally motivated activities; and how the educational institution deploys its resources and organises the curriculum and other learning opportunities in order for students to participate in activities that are linked to student learning.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student engagement also refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, involvement, optimism, and passion that students display while being taught, which improves how much they learn and retain, as well as their persistence and enjoyment in completing work.6<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If student engagement is proven to be the more effective teaching strategy, then why is it adopted so poorly? One potential reason highlighted by a Nebraska study is a lack of training for faculty in the skills needed to utilise the innovative strategies that improve student engagement, such as smaller class sizes, open classroom layouts, and other strategies that minimise the reliance on conventional lecturing.7<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Innovative teaching strategies that improve student engagement<\/h3>\n

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  1. Inquiry-based learning<\/strong>.8<\/sup> Inquiry-based learning is a powerful strategy that triggers student curiosity. This allows students to formulate their own understanding based on research and questions. Students also get an opportunity to present what they have learnt to the group, and can reflect on what was successful and what needed more attention. Teachers act as facilitators and answer questions posed by the students as they work towards finding answers through research and independent discovery.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Flipping the classroom<\/b>.9<\/sup> In this strategy, class time is inverted to traditional lectures and fosters inquiry, application, and assessment to better engage individual learners and their needs. Students study material outside of class by reading, watching short pre-recorded video lectures, or researching assignments. Class time is used to help students work through the material in groups, or individually, for active learning, with an emphasis on higher-order thinking and application to complex problems.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
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    Common innovative activities include:<\/span><\/p>\n