Student Engagement
Your personal approach to teaching and the content delivery strategies you utilize are important components in course design and implementation. Keeping students engaged and present during class time is essential for their best learning potential.
Active Learning
Active learning strategies place less emphasis on the teacher-fronted classroom and more emphasis on student-centered strategies and student engagement.[1] Using active learning can go a long way to retain student interest, motivation, and involvement throughout the term, both inside and outside the classroom.
Active Learning Toolkit
Active learning approaches include strategies such as case-based teaching, problem-based learning, project-based learning, debates, role plays and simulations. Explore the Active Learning Toolkit for practical ideas for encouraging and assessing more interactive learning in your classes.
Inclusive Practices
When students feel respected, heard, and represented, they are more likely to engage in course lessons and materials.

Heuristic for Inclusive Instructional Design
The Heuristic for Inclusive Instructional Design prompts you to think deeply about your practices and make room for improvements. See longer description.
Inclusive Teaching Toolkit
The Inclusive Teaching Toolkit offers a plethora of resources to rethink and expand your repertoire of practices.
Learning Theory Best Practices
Seven Principles for Good Practice
For decades, course designers have leaned on the classic "seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education" (Chickering and Gamson, 1987),[2] which supports the following ideas for good instruction.
- Encourages expectations of contact between students and faculty.
- Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students.
- Encourages interaction/active learning.
- Gives prompt feedback.
- Emphasizes time on task.
- Respects diverse talents and ways of learning.[2]
Implementing these principles, while challenging, can offer great benefit and reward, especially when they are implemented holistically.
Further Resources
- Increasing Student Engagement - Stanford Teaching Commons
- Student Engagement: Theory, Levels & Examples
- Universal Design for Learning: Provide Multiple Means of Engagement - CAST.org
Source Information
- Frye, R., Mckinney, G. R., & Trimble, J. E. (2006). Tools and Techniques for Course Improvement: Handbook for Course Review and Assessment of Student Learning. Western Washington University: Bellingham, WA.
- Chickering, A.W., & Gamson, Z.F. (1987, Fall). Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, Washington Center News, (n.p.)