i've been interested in trying to get my own students more engaged and more focused on their work, which is what i teach ever since i started teaching. Now i help direct something called the centre for engaged learning, which studies students, undergraduates, and how they learn. And it's actually interesting, if you dig into the research, engage learning isn't very well defined in the research. I was really excited cause you suggested looking at some of the research on engaging learners that really just instantly captivated me.And then also, there's a quote that kind of frames our conversation for to day. Sure.
Peter Felten discusses the research on engaging learners on episode 216 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.
Notes from the episode
Shape what our students do and what they think in the most efficient ways possible.
—Peter Felten
Learning results from what the student does and thinks and only from what the student does and thinks. The teacher can advance learning only by influencing what the student does to learn. (from How Learning Works by Ambrose et al., 2010, p. 1)
Five Things Students Need to Do:
- Time
- Effort
- Feedback
- Practice
- Reflect
Three Things Students Need to Think/Feel:
- “I belong here.”
- “I can learn this.”
- “I find this meaningful.”