Keeping Us Engaged: Student Perspectives (and Research-Based Strategies) on What Works and Why

by Christine Harrington, José Antonio Bowen (Foreword)

This book offers faculty practical strategies to engage students that are grounded in research and endorsed by students themselves. Through student stories, a signature feature of this book, readers will discover why professor actions result in changed attitudes, stronger connections to others and the course material, and increased learning.

Structured to cover the key moments and opportunities to increase student engagement, Christine Harrington covers the all-important first day of class where first impressions can determine students' attitudes for the duration of the course, through to insights for rethinking assignments and enlivening teaching strategies, to ways of providing feedback that build students' confidence and spur them to greater immersion in their studies, providing the underlying rationale for the strategies she presents. The student narratives not only validate these practices, offering their perspectives as learners, but constitute a trove of ideas and practices that readers will be inspired to adapt for their particular needs.

Conscious of the changing demographics of today's undergraduate and graduate students - racially more diverse, older, and many employed - Harrington highlights the need to engage all students and shares numerous strategies on how to do so. While many of the ideas presented were used by faculty teaching face to face classes, a number were developed by faculty teaching online, and the majority can be adapted to virtually any teaching environment.

Based on student-centered active learning principles, structured to allow readers to quickly identify practices that they may need in particular instances or to infuse in a course as a whole, and presented without jargon, this book is a springboard for all faculty looking for ideas that will engage their students at any level and in any course.

Genres: Teaching, Nonfiction

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2021

Reviews

[Christina Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t as helpful as I was hoping. As someone who has read a fair amount on teaching pedagogy, I found a lot of repeated ideas. While it’s good to hear from students, I would have like more reflection from students at the first and second year levels.

[David Orvek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great to hear from students about what works for them, but the book is quite shallow overall due to its brevity and the amount of ground it tries to cover. And most of the recommendations aren't particularly ground breaking.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book and how it used student reflections and research based methods on a variety of topics. Easy read for someone who doesn’t regularly read about teaching pedagogy.

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

What was particular awesome about this book is that the ideas came from students and their experiences about what worked in their higher ed classes. So many great ideas to implement!

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seemed good, I just never finished it.