Why is student engagement so important?
Research shows (Freeman et al., 2014; Theobald et al., 2020) that students who are actively engaged in learning:
The Student Engagement Core Model
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Adapted from Corso et al. (2013)
In developing the above model, Corso et al. (2013) identify three modes of engagement: engagement in thought, feeling, and action.
- Engagement in thought involves a psychological investment in learning through content mastery and a need for academic challenge.
- Engagement in feeling refers to peer relationships and the resulting sense of belonging, as well as student passion for the subject matter.
- Engagement in action requires both instructor and student effort. With the use of active learning strategies, the instructor provides varied opportunities for engagement. On their part, students demonstrate active engagement through attendance, assignment completion, and time spent on academic tasks.
When these three modes of engagement come together, student learning is maximized within the context of a collaborative and motivating classroom environment.
Learning Style Preferences: The Felder-Silverman Model
Most people have a preferred learning style; a preferred way in which information is processed, taken in, presented, and organized. It is helpful for instructors to vary their instruction to accommodate different student learning styles. In this way, all students have similar opportunities for success. The Felder-Silverman Model offers insight into eight different learning styles: Active-Reflective, Visual-Verbal, Sensing-Intuitive, Sequential-Global.
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Source: Cater (2011)
According to Felder (2020), the optimal balance of instruction “depends on the subject, the level of the course, the prior knowledge of the students, and the familiarity of the instructor with alternative teaching strategies…When that balance is achieved, all students are taught sometimes in their preferred categories, so they are not too uncomfortable to learn, and sometimes in their less preferred categories, so they can build critically important skills they might never acquire from matched instruction.”
Learning Styles and the Index of Learning Styles
Look here for more publications related to the Felder-Silverman Model of Learning Styles
Active Learning: The Key to Successful Engagement
Active learning is anything course related that all students are called upon to do other than simply watching, listening, and taking notes (Felder & Brent, 2009).
Getting Started With Active Learning
Incorporate opportunities for student engagement into every lesson. Look here to explore activities that can be easily included in your lesson planning.
References
Cater, M. (2011). Incorporating learning styles into program design. LSU AgCentre ODE Blog. https://lsuagcenterode.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/incorporating-learning-styles-into-program-design/
Corso, M., Bundick, M., Quaglia, R., & Haywood, D. (2013). Where student, teacher, and content meet: Student engagement in the secondary classroom. American Secondary Education, 41(3), 50-61. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Corso-3/publication/286135126_Promoting_Student_Engagement_in_the_Classroom/links/613b4031fbc6ff28c9eca2b5/Promoting-Student-Engagement-in-the-Classroom.pdf
Felder, R. M., & Brent, R. (2009). Active Learning: An Introduction. ASQ Higher Education Brief, 2, 4-9. https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/drive/1YB2KK3wLqP3EhXyYdKtE9-4mBJzc2rc2/Active%20Learning%20Tutorial.pdf
Felder, R. (2020). Opinion: Uses, Misuses, and Validity of Learning Styles. Advances in Engineering Education, 8(1). https://www.engr.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/drive/1tKCP5oEAV5VV4Yb97j-IG_geuBxCQqB6/2020-AEE%20Learning%20Styles%20Opinion%20Piece.pdf
Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410–8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111
Mudrak, M., Turčáni, M. & Reichel, J. (2020). Impact of using personalized e-course in computer science education. Journal on Efficiency and Responsibility in Education and Science, 13, 174-188. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347694033_Impact_of_Using_Personalized_E-Course_in_Computer_Science_Education
The framework: A unified theory. (n.d.). Spectrum of Teaching Styles. Retrieved July 29, 2024 from https://spectrumofteachingstyles.org/index.php?id=20 .
Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., Agrawal, S., Arroyo, E. N., Behling, S., Chambwe, N., Cintrón, D. L., Cooper, J. D., Dunster, G., Grummer, J. A., Hennessey, K., Hsiao, J., Iranon, N., Jones, L., Jordt, H., Keller, M., Lacey, M. E., Littlefield, C. E., … Freeman, S. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476–6483. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916903117