Teaching for Engagement

Engagement is essential for learning. In order to maintain interest, manage a working knowledge, and eventually master a topic, skill, concept or idea, students need opportunities and environments that support reflection, practice, constructive feedback, and collaboration. The results from the 2011 National Survey for Student Engagement can give you an idea of how UD students are engaged in the university. It describes multiple levels of engagement that keep students studying and motivated to complete their degrees. One principle site is the classroom. So, we ask:

What might an engaged classroom look like?

• Students are efficient and productive during class activities
• Students actively participate in class discussions
• Students pay attention during lectures

How can I engage my students?
There are many ways to engage students and support their learning. CTAL has compiled a growing list of resources below for your exploration. We also invite you to schedule a consultation with one of our staff members to talk about possibilities. Our ultimate goal is to provide you with tools and ideas so you can teach in ways that:

1. encourage contact between students and faculty
2. develop reciprocity and cooperation among students
3. encourage active learning
4. give prompt feedback
5. emphasize time on task
6. communicate high expectations
7. respect diverse talents and ways of learning

These are Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987) that have become a template for high-quality college teaching and are useful for improving the classroom experience.

Resources

• Active Learning
• Interactive Lectures
• Ideas for developing Critical Thinking (from Wolcott Lynch Associates)
• Cooperative Learning
• Problem-Based Learning
• Electronic Portfolios
• Teaching Students to Ask Questions Instead of Answering Them
• Participation Rubric for Effective Participation and Civil Engagement (Google Doc for UD members).

University of Delaware Active Learning Resources & Programs

On-Campus Resources

• Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education
• Problem-Based Learning at the University of Delaware Resources for faculty on problem-based learning
• Research-Based Education Template for promoting discovery-based learning
• Students’ Voices on Learning and Teaching at Delaware

Off-Campus Resources

• 101 Things to Do in the First Three Weeks of Class
• Active Learning Strategies for Humanities Curricula
• Charles Bonwell’s Active Learning Site 
Resources include bibliographies, workshop schedules, and more.
• Problem-Based Learning in Large Classes
• Resources in Science and Engineering Education: Richard Felder’s Homepage – 
A website, designed and maintained by Richard Felder, Hoechst Celanese Professor of Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University, offers a broad range of resources on active and collaborative learning. Although the instructional methods are rooted in the Sciences and Engineering, they are applicable and relevant to all disciplines.