Increase Student Engagement Research Articles

Level Up: Strategies to Increase Student Engagement Using Gamification in Physical Education

The aim of this paper is to provide strategies for coaches to improve their ability to implement goal setting practices with groups or teams. First, an overview of effective goal setting practices is provided. Next, a three-step goal setting system is introduced to assist when setting goals with teams. Concrete examples from a variety of different team sports are included to aid coaches in better understanding what these practices and processes look like in a team setting when implemented properly.

Discourse Remixed: Shifting Science Learning Through Talk

Increasing student engagement with the social practices of science (i.e., communication, collaboration, and critique) is a goal throughout K-16 science education and provides an opportunity for science educators to leverage student discourse to optimize learning. Yet how instructors can encourage forms of discourse which predict increased achievement remain unclear. We examined how structured interdependence shifted student discourse and learning for student groups (n = 78) completing collaborative learning activities in undergraduate science classrooms. All discourse was recorded (3,628 student talk turns) and coded. Results showed that groups experiencing structured interdependence had higher rates of science accuracy, idea reiteration, and justification, as well as higher assessment performance. An additional examination of discourse found accuracy and justification of ideas to have greater presence in the highest performing groups overall. The “in common” nature of discourse shifts between both interdependency groups and those with the highest performance suggest that interdependent structuring may promote learning through shifting idea accuracy and justification during talk. These findings support that interdependency may be a pragmatic step for increasing undergraduate student engagement with social practices of science in laboratory settings.

Student response system: its impact on EFL students’ vocabulary achievement

ABSTRACT The educational potentials of using student response systems (SRSs) as emerging mobile technologies in higher education classrooms are increasing. The need to understand and integrate these technologies into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts has become evident. This mixed-methods study aimed at investigating the effects of an SRS-supported think-pair-share strategy on EFL students’ vocabulary achievement at a higher education institution. The participants were 154 university students and seven instructors. Data sources included vocabulary achievement tests, an SRS perception survey, and student and instructor focus groups. T-test analysis of the vocabulary achievement tests revealed the strategy resulted in higher vocabulary achievement. The analysis of the focus group data revealed the pedagogical approach resulted in positive outcomes such as increased student engagement, enhanced concentration on in-class activities, and enhanced feedback in classrooms. Results present recommendations for future research on SRS-supported vocabulary achievement and vocabulary retention in English Language Teaching contexts.

A Preliminary Evaluation of a Digital Token Economy to Increase Student Engagement during Group Teletherapy

Shortly following the temporary nationwide school dismissal amid COVID-19, the current exploratory case-study evaluated the feasibility of two engagement strategies delivered during group teletherapy: Class Dojo and opportunities to respond (OTR). Three elementary students with emotional and behavioral difficulties participated. An A-B-A design was used to evaluate the effects of Class Dojo on student engagement with therapist-delivered OTRs. Due to one student’s poor response to the contingency, an A-B-C design was used to evaluate the additive effect of student-delivered OTRs on his engagement. Results indicated moderate to high rates of student attendance, and consistently high rates of engagement for two students. When students delivered OTRs, the student who initially struggled to engage demonstrated an increase in engagement. Practical issues are discussed and recommendations are considered for future research on increasing student engagement during online settings.

A gameful blended-learning experience in nursing: A qualitative focus group study

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges around the world, affecting over 1.5 billion students in 191 countries. This situation has forced faculties and health-related degrees in particular to be innovative, flexible, and agile when transitioning to online or blended learning. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore nursing students' experiences and perceptions of the use of game elements in two full-nursing subjects using a blended-learning teaching strategy. DesignA qualitative study was conducted through sixteen focus group interviews between November 2020 and January 2021. SettingThis study took place at the Jaume I University with students enrolled in Adult and Elderly Health Programmes and Chronic Processes in their second and third year, respectively. ParticipantsOne hundred forty-nine second- and third-year undergraduate nursing students took part in the focus group interviews. MethodsA blended-learning teaching approach with game elements was developed for two full-undergraduate nursing subjects. Focus groups using a semi-structured interview protocol were conducted after delivering the teaching content. A content analysis was used to analyse the focus group interview data. ResultsThe qualitative analysis revealed four major themes: (i) teaching transition in the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, (ii) game elements to retain student attention and learning, (iii) gameful designs for competency-based team training, and (iv) blended learning vs face-to-face learning including gamification. ConclusionsThis study yields, for the first time, findings about the use of game elements in blended learning. This strategy was shown to be useful for teaching other key clinical or teamwork-related skills such as creativity, innovation, team-based communication, and responsibility, in addition to supporting the use of this innovative teaching strategy to reduce online fatigue and stress and increase student engagement in online classes.

Leveraging outside readings and low-stakes writing assignments to promote student engagement in an economic development course

The author of this article describes an intermediate economics course structured around outside readings, which include academic journal papers, policy briefs, and news articles. Students complete low-stakes, high-frequency writing assignments that promote accountability and encourage critical thinking about the readings. This pairing of outside readings and writing assignments leads to increased student engagement, high rates of self-reported reading, and high satisfaction with the course without imposing an unreasonable grading workload on the instructor. This model may be especially useful to instructors in intermediate and advanced courses who seek to increase students’ exposure to recent developments in their field and strengthen their ability to engage critically with economic theory and ideas.

Incorporating Kahoot! in core engineering courses: Student engagement and performance

Technology-enriched lessons can contribute to improving student engagement and learning in engineering courses. In this study we systematically incorporated Kahoot!, a game-based response system, in two mandatory content-intensive undergraduate engineering courses. In both courses, short quizzes were incorporated regularly at the beginning of the lesson. The questions were mostly about concepts, and students earned bonus points. At the end of the course, the students filled in an anonymous survey regarding their perceptions of the Kahoot! part of the lessons. In addition, the students’ grades in the final test were compared to their gains in the Kahoot! quizzes. We found that student satisfaction with the systematic incorporation of the Kahoot! quizzes was high in both courses. Most students were motivated to review the course content before class and about half were motivated to attend class. Most students perceived Kahoot! quizzes as contributing to their understanding of the course content. We also found a positive association between student success in the quizzes and their performance in the final exam in both courses. The frequent Kahoot! quizzes supplied continuous feedback to the students and lecturers, and the students became more engaged in the course content. Our findings indicate that technology-enriched strategies, specifically gamification techniques, contribute to increased student engagement, motivation, and performance in content-intensive engineering courses.

Opportunities to Respond for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Inclusive Classrooms

Students who are actively engaged in learning have a higher probability of academic and behavioral success in the classroom. One effective teaching practice that increases student engagement is providing students with frequent opportunities to respond (OTR). This article provides practitioners with a range of OTR strategies that include verbal, non-verbal, and partner responses. In addition, recommendations are provided on how these strategies can be effectively implemented in inclusive classrooms to increase engagement of students with school-based behavior problems, including those with and at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders.

BlendFlex and HyFlex Models to Increase Student Engagement and Retention

BlendFlex and HyFlex Models to Increase Student Engagement and Retention

Remote Flipped Teaching during the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Flipped teaching (FT) is known to foster active learning and increase student engagement. The flipped classroom design organizes learning in such a way that the lower‐order thinking such as memorization is expected at the individual student level in the form of homework and the higher‐order thinking including application and analysis occurs in the classroom in the presence of the instructor. With the sudden onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic, instructors and students were given no time to adjust to the remote educational set up. Flipped teaching, like most other instructional modalities, had to be transformed into an online platform. The present study assessed the effectiveness of FT in a remote setting in a graduate‐level physiology course (n=33). The course content included lecture videos, slides, and reading assignments which were made available on BlackBoard, the Learning Management System. Students were expected to have reviewed the assigned content prior to the virtual synchronous sessions. During the synchronous meeting, a question‐answer (Q&A) session allowed students to review the content yet again. Followed by the Q&A session, an individual quiz, containing lower‐order questions, was given to assess student preparation. Soon after the review of the quiz, students in small groups (4‐5 students per group) were allowed to use breakout rooms to complete a set of questions which were designed at the higher order of Bloom's taxonomy and expected students to apply knowledge, analyze or synthesize their collaborative responses. The answers to these questions were reviewed during the first part of the following synchronous session where students were selected randomly to answer these questions which prompted them to come prepared. Student surveys were administered at the beginning and the end of the course to assess their knowledge gain, perception of the remote FT format, and confidence in completing the course. Based on the survey results, it was found that the students adjusted well to the remote course setting (p<0.001) and their confidence in completing the course successfully increased from the beginning to the end of the semester (p<0.05). Students also found that the collaborative activities (93.55%) and the in‐class discussions (96.77%) were effective and were well adjusted to the synchronous computerized exams (90.32%) and the individual in‐class assessments (80.65%). Overall, the remote FT method was successful and therefore, the principles behind FT could be employed in virtual teaching.

Learning in 3D: Adjusting and Assessing an Introductory Biology 3D Printing Project for Virtual Learning

Many active learning modules use physical models to aid student understanding of DNA replication, protein folding, and other interactions. 3D printing is a technology that is rapidly becoming accessible and affordable for a multitude of classroom uses, and so physical models can now be custom printed at little cost. In our Introductory Biology course, we ask students to describe the basic structure of the four biological macromolecules and link the basic monomeric structure with the overall function of the biological molecule. While most of our students are adept at memorizing basic facts, we find that only approximately 45% of the students are able to thoroughly articulate how the structure of the macromolecule relates to its function. To improve this metric and increase student engagement, we created an active learning module that consists of three parts: Research on an assigned biological molecule, design of a 3D printed learning aid (for example, 3D print four different amino acids that come together in specific ways using magnets), and finally the design and presentation of a learning module to the class that incorporates hands-on manipulation of their learning aid. Based on assessment questions as well as student reflections, this project has improved student engagement in the class. During Covid-19, two different alterations were made in response to social-distancing restrictions – removal of the 3D printed model component, leaving the design aspects intact, and replacement of the the design components of the module with an individual presentation on one of the biological macromolecules using the same inquiry materials. Impacts of these two alterations on student learning will be discussed.

Using a Flipped Classroom to Increase Understanding, Retention and Engagement in a Virtual Anatomy and Physiology Course

In Fall 2020, in order to maximize student understanding and retention of material in my online undergraduate combined Anatomy and Physiology course, I decided to alter my traditional method of lecture delivery and to flip the class. I also intended that this method would allow for increased student engagement in the virtual class and a more discussion based synchronous class would allow a sense of community to develop, which I saw as especially important while the class was geographically distant during the pandemic. Students were required to watch two or three short videos up to 20 minutes each, before attending each virtual class that met twice weekly. During our synchronous class, students completed activities such as small group work on case studies, answering short answer questions, polls, reviewing material and asking open questions. Mid-way through the semester I reviewed the class format, the students’ preparedness for class, their understanding of the material and satisfaction with the format. I found that the flipped class format allowing for increased small group work in class and content discussion, helped to create a sense of community in the virtual class, however by week 6 of the semester the number of students that were not viewing the content videos before class was increasing and their preparedness was falling. Results from a mid-semester survey indicated that 40% of students were happy with the flipped classroom, whereas 48% of the students preferred a hybrid format, requiring them to watch a single video up to 20 minutes before attending class and covering more content in lecture format in our virtual class. Just 11% of students indicated a preference for changing to a traditional synchronous lecture format. I learned that 48% of students reported the flipped format increased their understanding of the material with 25% of students being neutral and 76% of students reported the flipped method improved their retention of the material. In response to the mid-semester survey, I opted to complete the second half of the semester using the hybrid model, in which the students watched up to 20 minutes of pre-recorded material before our virtual class and in class we completed a mixture of lecture and small group and individual activities. With this hybrid model students continued to be engaged in the virtual class and mastered the content. In conclusion, I found that the flipped classroom was helpful in promoting student understanding, retention and allowed for a greater sense of community in an online setting. However, the students found it difficult to review all of the lecture material before attending class and were missing content with the flipped model, therefore a hybrid model was more popular and ultimately successful.

Twelve tips to enhance student engagement in synchronous online teaching and learning

Synchronous learning is a component of online learning for engaging students in real-time. It is the nearest we can get to a live feeling in the e-environment. These sessions must be designed in a way to keep students continuously involved. This paper aims to provide health professional educators with tips for increasing student engagement in the online synchronous environment. The relevant literature regarding student engagement and synchronous online learning was reviewed and collated with the authors’ own experiences, to formulate these tips. Health professional educators can use these tips to enhance student engagement in online synchronous classes. Increased student engagement in online sessions, means better learning. These tips have been tried and tested by the authors as being satisfactory for increasing student interest in synchronous sessions and hence providing an optimal learning experience online.

Can the simulated experience of connecting through narratives and personal artefacts raise students’ perceptions of their preparedness to communicate with their patients about more than their illness?

Objective: Building therapeutic connections is at the core of quality nursing care. It is often difficult however, for neophyte nursing students to understand how meaningful connections with patients can be formed. Therapeutic connection and person-centered communication are multi-faceted constructs that require exploration and practice. Methods: In order to explore a new way of enhancing communication skills and increasing the preparedness of students to build therapeutic relationships, a novel learning experience was created. This experience centered around multi-modal simulation which incorporated 360 degree technology, digital platforms and interactive simulation using the Mask-Ed ™(KRS simulation) technique. The experience was offered to an entire cohort of students in their first year of a Baccalaureate nursing program. Evaluation data was collected via pre and post-test questionnaires. Results: A statistically significant improvement in student’s self-reported confidence in building rapport and initiating conversation with patients was observed. 80% of students felt the intervention had assisted with their learning and would like to see it offered again in the future. Conclusion: Findings suggest that there is potential in combining interactive 360 degree technology and Mask-Ed™ simulation to augment the learning experience, increase student engagement and to create a safe space for students to explore learning.

Developing Online Discussion Boards to Increase Student Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the current pandemic, colleges are at the fork to either open the campus and curb the spread of COVID-19 or go virtual and risk their efficiency and finally give into financial ruin. This study explores learners’ perceptions of engagement in an online environment to curtail online courses. How educators and students socially interact in cyberspace is a long-standing research topic. Several researchers explored online engagement in higher education in multiple studies (e.g., Kahu, 2011; Ross, 2010). However, there is a lack of research that explores preservice teachers’ engagement in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses. We focused on preservice ESOL teachers’ perceptions of engagement in online discussions to uncover factors that could contribute to increasing their engagement. We collected the data through an online survey, student interviews, and recording online asynchronous discussion transcripts. Constant comparative analysis of data indicated a safe, non-threatening atmosphere as well as a sense of confirmation, and exploring new aspects of the topic; factors that reassured the engagement of the participants.

Application of team‐based learning for teaching food analysis

AbstractFood analysis courses introduce the theory and application of analytical procedures to characterize foods and their ingredients. Students learn the principles behind analytical techniques commonly used to analyze foods in the industry and evaluate their suitability for the analysis of specific food products. Food analysis courses have traditionally been taught in a lecture‐based format. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing team‐based learning (TBL), an established collaborative learning technique, in an undergraduate food analysis course to enhance student learning. Post‐course student surveys, quizzes, and exam scores were used to assess the effectiveness of the TBL implementation. TBL uses pre‐reading assignments, individual and team quizzes, and problem solving in teams to create an active learning environment in the classroom that increases student engagement and long‐term learning. The results from surveys, quizzes, and exam scores from the Food Analysis course show a successful implementation in the classroom: no significant difference in the average midterm exam scores was observed between the TBL and lecture formats (p ≤ 0.05), indicating that TBL maintained performance on midterm exams, students reported being engaged in the course, and the deliberately designed group work encouraged students to prepare for class and participate in the activities. The students also reported that they were able to recall information better, and that the effectiveness of TBL activities helped them strengthen concepts. In conclusion, the results suggest that TBL is beneficial for students in food analysis, and that implementation in additional food science courses could help improve student learning.

A Teacher–Researcher Partnership for Professional Learning: Co-Designing Project-Based Learning Units to Increase Student Engagement in Science Classes

ABSTRACT We present teacher–researcher partnership (TRP) as a way of fostering teachers’ professional learning. Teachers’ participation as research group members is an essential aspect of the partnership. Teachers and researchers share the same goal, which is to improve their understanding of and enhance students’ engagement in science. Project-based learning (PBL) was selected as a means of enhancing student engagement. The activities of the partnership focused on the co-design and enactment of and co-reflection on PBL units. Teachers participated in the design of the data collection process and the interpretation of initial findings. As an indicator of teachers’ professional learning, we examined students’ engagement during different implementations of the PBL units. Student engagement was measured using a situational experience sampling questionnaire delivered via mobile phones. The students’ experiences of scientific practices and engagement in actual learning situations were measured in the first and second years of the teachers’ implementation of the teaching units. An analysis of the students’ responses showed that the students were 20% more engaged in the second year than in the first year. We argue that TRP has the potential to enhance teachers’ professional learning.

Academic Games as a Form of Increasing Student Engagement in Remote Teaching.

Academic Games as a Form of Increasing Student Engagement in Remote Teaching.

Using Design Thinking to Redesign the Educational Experience

In a world that is ever changing and full of uncertainties, there is an undeniable need to equip students with competencies that exceed cognitive knowledge, thus enabling them to develop their individual potentials. Using case study methodology, Design Thinking and ProblemBased Learning, this paper presents a program that brought together students and teachers from different faculties with the purpose of developing innovative solutions to important and pressing societal challenges. Given the unprecedented context generated by the worldwide spread of SARS–COV2 Virus, the program challenged students to find solutions to redesign the educational process. The aim was to equip them with the skills and competencies necessary to adapt in a globalized world, where remote work with team members from different backgrounds is the norm. The Problem-Based Learning approach and the visually attractive collaborative online platform used to implement the Design Thinking methodology generated an overall increased student engagement and creative solutions for wicked problems.

Review of Collaborative Learning Communities in Middle School Literacy Education: Increasing Student Engagement With Authentic Literacy by Jolene T. Malavasic

Review of Collaborative Learning Communities in Middle School Literacy Education: Increasing Student Engagement With Authentic Literacy by Jolene T. Malavasic