Have you ever wondered why students do not read the program, despite the time and efforts that we have spent on creation? It serves as a contract between instructors and students (Eberly, Newton and Wiggins, 2001), describing all of the expectations, assignments and deadlines for the semester. However, many students are simply not motivated to read it. They often find overwhelming, not committed or even illegible programs. In many classes, teachers review the program during the first week (Richmond, 2016), so often that students have nicknamed it “Syllabus Week” – not exactly the most exciting start of a semester! Students often form impressions of their courses in the first minutes of class (Roberto, 2021). Simply standing in front of the room and reading the page program by page is not the most attractive way to show what your class has to offer.
And if there were more effective ways to bring students not only to read it, but to act actively with? Many students jump it because the learning management systems (LMS) such as the Web, the blackboard and the D2L now contain everything they need in one place. However, as an instructor, we still count on the program to provide a clear roadmap to the semester.
So how can we make it more engaging? You will find below some strategies to encourage students not only to read the program, but also to explore what your class has to offer and what to expect throughout the semester. Here are five effective strategies to encourage students to get involved with your program. Although some involve additional technology, updating these tools can improve the experience and make the program more interactive.
- Use Notebook LM to create a podcast in your program. Professors can use Notebook LM to generate a podcast version of their program by downloading your program and allow the AI to summarize and structure content in a engaging audio format. This makes the program more accessible and interactive for students.
- Survey Use applications like PolleryWhere, Mentimer and My favorite, Slido, to create interactive quizs on the key details of the program. By transforming the program into a live and live question / response session, students actively commit themselves while strengthening important information on course policies, deadlines and expectations in a commitment and memorable way.
- Think-Pair-Share. Ask students to think about the following questions: how is this program compared to the others you have had? What forces seem to you? What challenges do you anticipate after reading it? Ask them to write their thoughts individually, then associate them to discuss their answers. Finally, bring together the class for a group discussion, allowing you to clarify all questions or concerns as students share their ideas. This activity not only helps students get involved in the program, but also promotes a feeling of community on the first day by encouraging interaction and shared understanding.
- Ask students to annotate the program. Ask students to annotate the program – an excellent suggestion from a post X from Remi Kalir. In pairs or in small groups, students will examine the program together, adding annotations that include clarification issues, opinions on missions and readings and responses to course policies. The use of a shared document like Google Docs allows everyone to see and engage with everyone’s comments in real time. Another tool to use could be perusal as an annotation tool. This helps not only students actively engage in the program, but also serves as a precious community strengthening activity on the first day. The professor can then examine the comments to answer questions and provide additional clarifications.
- Syllabus station. In this community strengthening activity, students will work in groups to identify three main dishes to remember from the program. To one program station In a gallery walk, each group will examine a paper copy of the program, will discuss its most important points and write its first three on a large post-it poster. As the groups run in stations, they will add their information to the poster, creating a collaborative summary of the essential information of the course. This interactive approach encourages engagement with the program while promoting teamwork. (I wrote an article on this subject in Faculty Focus, highlighting different stations of the first day that I use in class. Start the semester with community construction activities in class to increase students’ commitment))
Many of these strategies align themselves with the activities of strengthening the community which promote a favorable and engaging class environment, encouraging the participation of students and a feeling of belonging (Ricevuto and McLaughlin, 2022). By implementing one of these approaches, you not only help students get involved in the program but also to strengthen class links – by creating a win -win situation.
In addition, many of these techniques can be adapted for online courses with slight modifications. In a online parameterThese techniques can be easily adapted:
- Annotation activities Can be done using collaborative tools as a hypothesis or perusall, where students can highlight and comment directly on the program.
- Survey questions The use of SLIDO, PolleryWhere or Mentimer can be integrated into a live session or asynchronously in a discussion forum.
- Walk Galle style activities Can be recreated using Google documents, Padlet cards or shared discussion forums where students contribute to key dishes.
- Podcast versions of the program Maybe saved using the LM Notebook, which makes it more accessible to students who prefer audio content.
By making small adjustments, these interactive techniques can work just as effectively in an online environment, ensuring that students engage with the program while creating a feeling of community in the virtual class.
By using these interactive strategies, you can transform the program of a passive document into a commitment and community strengthening tool. Whether through annotation activities, survey questions, collaborative discussions or creative formats such as podcasts, these approaches help students actively engage with the expectations of the course while promoting a feeling of connection with their peers. When students feel involved from the start, they are more likely to participate, ask questions and appropriate their learning. The creation of a welcoming and interactive program experience not only guarantees students the structure of the course, but also sets the tone for a solidarity and engaging class environment, both in person and online.
The DRE Joanne Ricevuto is the deputy vice-president of educational success, supervising the programming of teachers in its establishment and manager of professional development workshops on key topics in higher education. She is also editor -in -chief of the website of the Office of Educational Success. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, she has taught as a teacher of early childhood teaching and has written many articles on virtual learning and students’ commitment. She is also co-author of Engage virtual environments: creative ideas and online tools to promote the interaction, participation and active learning of students.
References
Elberly, MB, Newton, SE and Wiggins, RA (2001). The program as a tool for learning learning. The Journal of General Education, 50, 56–74.
Ricevuto, J. & McLaughlin, L. (2022). Engage virtual environments: creative ideas and online tools to promote students’ interaction, participation and active learning. Publication of the stylus.
Richmond as (2016). Build a learner’s program: a teacher’s day. Idea # 60. Idea Center, Inc.
Roberto, M. (2021, April 9). Start students on the first day and every day: 7 class connection strategies. Harvard Business Publishing Education.
(Tagstotranslate) Active learning community
