Supporting engagement in classrooms is an important part of teaching and learning. Engagement in learning spaces is very contextual to the content, the discipline, and the individual learners. There are ways to make engagement more accessible and inclusive through in-class activities, and educational technology supported means.

Below we have provided some example approaches that can be modified to your particular teaching team and class context. 

Collaborative Note Taking

Learners can help support the learning environment and highlight important aspects of the course through collaborative note taking for each module or lesson. This can look like a collective document that all learners have access to edit or add to, or a discussion forum for each module where high-level key points and takeaways are shared and discussed. Learners can be grouped by seminar section for larger courses, to support the accessibility of the document and to not have too many people in one document at the same time.  

The benefit of this activity and pedagogical model is it allows learners to reflect on what was meaningful content and concepts to them, how that could be different than others in their classroom, and also help support a shared resource that can be helpful for all learners in reviewing information for tests, exams, or final assignments like projects or presentations.  

Co-creation of Classroom Engagement Frameworks

Learners have the best idea of what their engagement looks like and how it can change depending on timing, content, and other factors. Having an opportunity for learners to collectively co-create classroom engagement frameworks at the beginning of the term, and also allowing it to be a living document where ideas can be added over a period of time, can support feedback from different learners. This document can be co-created in the first few weeks of class and posted on Brightspace as a reference document throughout the term.  

Editing Transcripts for Accuracy

If there are recorded aspects of the course, automated captions may inaccurately spell or mistake words, especially if the recording is discussing specialized content. Learners could have the option of reviewing and editing transcripts for accuracy. This has the benefit of allowing learners to review the content, but also demonstrate their knowledge of the concepts that are covered. The editing process could be part of community support/participation activities, or possibly part of a scaffolded assessment depending on the discipline and course design. The output of more accurate transcripts and captions can then also support learners in the class who may be Deaf, hard of hearing or use captions to support their learning. 

Chat Backchannels to Support Discussion

Giving learners a space where they can share ideas synchronously or asynchronously can help increase engagement, especially for learners who need time to process their ideas or have anxiety speaking in front of larger groups of people. These backchannels also do not need to be textual, depending on the discipline and context, and could allow learners to share their ideas as images or audio if that is what feels meaningful to them.

Today’s Evidence/Artifact

Leaving 5-10 minutes at the end of class or seminar to support the creation of a piece of evidence or an artifact that resonates with the learner provides engagement opportunities that are meaningful to them. It also allows for real-time feedback to the teaching team about what is resonating and what needs more support.  

Community Connections

Learners can be encouraged to make connections between the content and concepts in the course and their greater communities. This could be by discussing the connections to their geographical, ethnic, racial, or socio-cultural community, or by bringing in posts or articles that they have seen that directly connect to the course content.

Resources on Accessible Engagement:

• Harrison,L.M., Morgenstern, E.C. & Angelo, M. (2022): Eliminating the Front Row: How Teaching in the Chat Fosters Student Engagement. College Teaching, DOI: 10.1080/87567555.2022.2081122
• Olszewska, A. I, Bondy, E., Hagler, N. & Kim, H.J. (2021): A humanizing pedagogy of engagement: beliefs and practices of award-winning instructors at a U.S. university. Teaching in Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2021.1920575