Author: Laura Schmidli. Editor: Maria Widmer. Published on August 12, 2024.
For many students and instructors, the start of the semester is a time of high energy and motivation. For others, beginning a new term may feel daunting or alienating.
“College students face serious difficulty in attending to the tasks at hand like studying, learning, and retaining information until they resolve one of their most fundamental needs – a need to belong in learning spaces.” (Strayhorn, 2018)
Immediately helping students connect with you, other students, and your course content can help those who are eager and energized as well as those who feel apprehensive. Getting students involved in course activities that affirm their existing knowledge, keep them on track, and foster connections with peers can build motivation and a sense of belonging. Continuing these activities throughout the semester can sustain motivation and belonging, too.
What’s Effective?
First impressions matter for student learning. Research shows that many students’ initial expectations for themselves, their classmates, their instructors, and the course material persist throughout the semester (Branca & Slusser, 2022). Therefore, taking time at the beginning of the semester to help students set expectations that are accurate and positive is important. These expectations can then be carried through the course and affirmed with regular low-stakes activities.
Part of setting positive expectations includes helping students cultivate a sense that they belong within the spheres of university life, including your classroom. “Belonging is being accepted and invited to participate; being part of something and having the opportunity to show up as yourself” (Wise, 2022, p. 3). Developing a sense of belonging is complex; it varies for each student and will change over time. No one class or instructor can be responsible for belonging. However, practices within a class can support the holistic belonging of students within their broader academic setting.
1. Facilitate early activities that center student knowledge and connection
Starting your class by focusing on what students already know, and helping them make connections with peers and instructors, can help students feel less stressed about the learning environment (Yust et al., 2021). Do this by leading low-stakes activities that ask students to share their knowledge, experiences, and goals with each other. Consider what questions or prompts might be accessible, relevant, and interesting to your students.
For example, you might ask students to crowdsource questions they can choose from when interviewing each other as an introductory activity. Students not only share about themselves, but contribute to the questions they want to ask and answer. They all work together to ensure everyone in the course learns something new and memorable about a classmate.
In another setting, you might ask students to brainstorm real-world examples of a concept that relates to your course and to students’ lives, like brainstorming myths and misconceptions about teenagers in a developmental psychology course. This gives students space to share what they know from experience, and work together to connect it back to course material.
L&S Instructor Example
Dr. Laura Stephenson, Instructor, Cross-College Advising Service
What do you do?
On the first day of class I introduce the students to the five dimensions of participation as defined by Gillis (2019)*. These include attendance and tardiness, preparation for each class meeting, participation in small group discussions, participation in full class discussions, and participation in other ways (e.g., office hours, talking with family/friends about course material). I ask the students to reflect on and rate their prior experience with participation for each dimension, and then ask them to make three SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals based on three dimensions they would like to improve over the course of the semester. I ask them to revisit the goals in the middle of the semester and provide feedback to a peer on their goals. At the end of the semester, they grade themselves on their course engagement.
Why do you do it?
I want to expand their thinking about course engagement beyond just showing up and talking to help them get a better foundation for their courses in college and for them to see engagement as a skill to develop not a fixed trait. I also want to give them a chance to use their prior experiences as a springboard by reflecting on how things went in the past and encouraging them to try something different or challenge themselves for college at UW Madison. Finally, I want to help them see that course-related activities they do outside of the class are also an important part of course engagement; it helps to enhance their learning.
What impact does it have on students?
For some students, using the SMART goal structure helps them to make more specific goals they can track and see their progress over one semester. For others, they will push themselves out of their comfort zones (e.g., speaking more in the large group) and report pride in achieving their goal. There are also those students who set easy goals and don’t get as much out of the exercise as I would like; however, they have practiced thinking about engagement more fully. All students benefit from practicing self-reflection and goal monitoring during the semester.
What might you change in the future?
I would like to adjust the peer review portion of the assignment to give them more ability to connect with their peers. Perhaps we will do a short activity in class where they check in with their peer and make adjustments to their SMART goals based on the conversation and experiences thus far in class.
*Thank you to Dr. Lillie Williamson from the Communication Arts Department for introducing me to the Gillis text and this concept.
2. Monitor student engagement and progress early
How students perform within the first three weeks of a course can be predictive of their success later in the semester (Summers et al., 2021). Additionally, procrastination in the first three weeks of a course, seen in students’ submitting assignments very close to or after the deadline, can predict poorer final grades and higher stress levels at the end of the term (Miyake & Kane, 2022). Therefore, early weeks of the semester are an important period to help students manage their time and attention. Activities that encourage productive management of time and attention may help students sustain good habits, resulting in better performance in the course and retention of learning.
Regular low-stakes activities can help instructors see which students are engaged, and reach out to those who are not active in the course or who are missing work (Benton & Hataway, 2024). When low-stakes activities are used as formative assessments, they also provide feedback to instructors and students about what information is being retained during the learning process. Many types of activities can be effective in providing instructors and students with feedback on engagement and learning, including written assessments and multiple choice quizzes (Linden et. al., 2020). When assessments are administered through Canvas, instructors can easily track who has completed these activities and reach out to those with missing work, even in larger enrollment courses.
L&S Student Voices
Megan Klinger, Rehabilitation Psychology Student
I think having low-stakes assignments early on in the semester helped set me and other students up for academic success. These assignments allowed for breathing room and forgiveness throughout the semester, which eased much of my anxiety… Designating time to learn the material on your own and being disciplined enough to stick to it was the most challenging at the start of the semester. Eventually, I found a rhythm that worked for me and paved the way for my academic achievements.
Macy Mosner, Psychology and Human Development & Family Studies Student
These assignments required me to sit down and plan out my semester and understand the syllabus. I was able to understand the expectations clearly and it alleviated some of my anxiety about grading. Completing these assignments also gave me an extra boost in my final grade.
L&S Instructor Example
Jonathan Gallimore, Teaching Faculty, Department of Psychology
What do you do?
During the first three weeks of the semester, I have students create a semester schedule and take a quiz about the course policies (i.e., low stakes assessments). I use the scores on these Introduction to the Course assignments to identify struggling students, and I email the struggling students during week 4.
Why do you do it?
Many students are living on their own for the first time and they decide whether to attend class or complete an assignment. Students do not have parents and teachers ensuring that they attend class and complete their assignments. Additionally, I teach large lecture courses and students can feel “invisible”, so it is important to let them know that I see them.
What impact does it have on students?
I get mixed results when I receive replies from the struggling students. Some students own their mistakes, and say they forgot the assignments. Other students report a myriad of issues from food insecurity to stalking or mental health issues, and I frequently connect struggling students with the Office of Student Assistance and Support. The introduction to the course assignments helped my students succeed in our class and other classes because students planned for a successful semester.
Tip: Canvas features can help you identify and communicate with students who have fallen behind. You can use Canvas New Analytics to identify and message students who haven’t accessed or submitted assignments. See How do I send a message to all students based on specific course participation criteria in New Analytics? from the Canvas Instructor Guide. You can also use the “Message Students Who…” tool in the Canvas gradebook to contact learners who haven’t submitted a specific assignment. See How do I send a message to students from the Gradebook? from the Canvas Instructor Guide.
3. Plan regular goal-directed activities throughout the semester
After students have connected early in your course, regular opportunities to work, think, and focus together will help sustain their connections to each other.
Regularly working together toward a clear goal provides frequent opportunities for students to feel like they matter within the course environment by being noticed, feeling cared about, feeling needed, feeling respected, or sharing successes and failures with others (Strayhorn, 2018). To make sure your goals for activities are clear to students, reflect on whether they are transparent and align with your course outcomes. This reduces confusion and ensures that students can devote their time and attention on the activity goal—not on trying to figure out the instructions. It can also be beneficial to make sure working together requires interdependence, where all students are required to contribute toward the goal (Moreau & Brauer, 2022). You might design for interdependence by using a Jigsaw activity, where all students contribute different information that fits together within the activity, or more simply by randomizing assigned roles within groups. While not every activity you plan will accomplish this for every student, regular opportunities will do more to engage more students throughout the semester.
Tip: Making your assignment instructions transparent can help students better understand the goals and purpose of classwork. To learn more about writing transparent assignment instructions, see the Transparent Assignments Template from TILT and the TILT Assignment Design Checklist.
L&S Instructor Example
In 2023, David Macasaet spoke with Professor John Dunne on the L&S Exchange Podcast. He shared that regularly taking time as a class to pause together in a mindfulness practice or to engage in conversation can help students refresh their attention and connect with each other. Listen starting at 19:22 in a new tab, or play the episode starting at 19:22 below.
Considerations for your own context
- How does your teaching philosophy guide how you use class time? How might you make time for activities that help students connect?
- What opportunities are there for students to provide input into your class? Might students suggest topics for assignments or examples for activities?
- How might you help students connect with each other early in the semester? Can you carry these opportunities forward by providing regular time to work together?
- How might you help students make connections between your course content and their lives outside of your classroom?
- What activities in your course rely on students’ prior knowledge and experiences?
- How do your activities sequence together or build on each other to guide students? Are there opportunities to make this more clear or explicit?
- What indicators of student engagement do you rely on early in the semester? What other indicators might you look for or create?
Connect with Us
Would you like help getting started on making a change to your early course activities? Do you want to discuss your ideas? Our team is happy to meet with you, brainstorm solutions that meet your needs, and help implement your ideas. Our work typically starts with one 45-minute virtual meeting. To get started, request a meeting.
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References & Further Reading
Benton, A., & Hataway, D. (2024). The Illogical Leap to Summative Without Formative: Incorporating Low-Risk Assessments to Better Serve High-Risk Students. Journal of College Science Teaching, 53(3), 302–307. https://doi.org/10.1080/0047231X.2024.2339126
Branca, S. H., & Slusser, E. (2022). Through a more discerning lens: Understanding college student expectations and experiences over the course of a semester: College Student Journal. College Student Journal, 56(2), 180–196.
Linden, K., Ploeg, N. V. D., Hicks, B., & Gonzalez, P. (2020). Peering into the crystal ball of the disengaged: What happens to students that do not submit an early assessment item? ASCILITE Publications, 48–53.
Linden, K., van der Ploeg, N., & Roman, N. (2023). Explainable learning analytics to identify disengaged students early in semester: An intervention supporting widening participation. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 45(6), 626–640. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2023.2212418
Moreu, G., & Brauer, M. (2022). Inclusive Teaching Practices in Post-Secondary Education: What Instructors Can Do to Reduce the Achievement Gaps at U.S. Colleges. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 34(1), 170–182.
Miyake, A., & Kane, M. J. (2022). Toward a Holistic Approach to Reducing Academic Procrastination With Classroom Interventions. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 31(4), 291–304. https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214211070814
Strayhorn, T. L. (2018). From Plausible Explanation to Evidence-based Theory. In College Students’ Sense of Belonging (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Summers, R. J., Higson, H. E., & Moores, E. (2021). Measures of engagement in the first three weeks of higher education predict subsequent activity and attainment in first year undergraduate students: A UK case study: Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(5), 821–836. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1822282
Wise, S. (2022). Design for belonging: How to build inclusion and collaboration in your communities. Ten Speed Press, https://search.library.wisc.edu/catalog/9913598045202121.
Yust, P. K. S., Liu, J., & Hard, B. M. (2021). Course belonging and engagement in introductory psychology: Why they matter and what predicts them. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 7(3), 206–227. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000295
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