How to Foster Student Engagement

My hot take for the day is that the best thing to do in response to genAI in the classroom has nothing to do with genAI. Instead, we should use any disruption to double down on building classroom communities full of trust and an embrace of the frictionful state of learning. 1. Learn students’ names: perhaps one of the highest ROI things you can do to create a foundation for community. 2. Foster metacognitive habits: help student reflect on what they're learning and how. You want to build independent, active learners instead of passive receivers of information. 3. Teach with transparency: don't hide the ball. Put your motivations and pedagogical decisions on the table. 4. Communicate explicit learning objectives: tell them the point of every assignment and what they're supposed to get out of it. 5. Make communication policies clear: tell them how to get a hold of you and set expectations for when they can expect a response. h/t to Robert Talbert for this one. 6. Create frameworks for feedback: help them understand how to give and receive feedback. I really like @kimballscott's framework of Radical Candor for this. 7. Double down on active learning: get them engage in the work of learning. This is fun and often looks a lot like play! Don't just talk at them but get them talking to you and to each other. 8. Encourage experimentation: iterative improvement and failure is the way. 9. Cultivate community: help them fully leverage the rich relational web that is in the background of every classroom. This is so often untapped. 10. Connect individually with each student: it might be challenging, but do your best to get to know each student as an individual person. Feeling like you're seen and that you belong matters. 11. Build shared responsibility for learning: teacher and student both have to bring something to the table for learning in the classroom to happen. Call this out explicitly and have a conversation about what everyone is bringing. 12. Get alongside students: try to avoid being in front all the time but get beside your students so that they see you are on their side and wanting them to succeed. 13. Model vulnerability: when you mess up, and you will, own it. Much easier for them to do it if they see it from you. 14. Reframe from "have to" to "get to": everybody has some level of agency in their choice to be in the classroom. Remind everyone of the opportunity and privilege it is to be in a classroom. 15. Trust your students: what if you gave your students the benefit of the doubt and trusted them until they gave you a reason to do otherwise. 16. Offer opportunities for failure and retries: learning happens when we try, fail, reflect, and try again. 17. Embrace friction: learning, like any worthwhile activity, is hard work. Instead of looking for a frictionless experience where we accomplish things without effort, encourage students to dig into the worthwhile challenge of learning something new and growing.

The engagement gap: why traditional online learning metrics hide the real reason students disengage. Most platforms track completion rates. But they miss what really matters. Isolation kills motivation faster than any technical glitch. Here's how to build real connection in virtual spaces: 1️⃣ Community-First Design • Break the solo learning trap • Foster peer relationships • Create belonging through structure ↳ Group projects that actually work ↳ Guided discussions that spark dialogue ↳ Micro-communities that stick together 2️⃣ Real-Time Connection Points • Schedule virtual coffee chats • Host informal study groups • Break down social barriers ↳ Weekly check-ins build momentum ↳ Informal spaces encourage bonding ↳ Small groups maximize interaction 3️⃣ Peer Support Networks • Match learners strategically • Enable organic mentoring • Build accountability partnerships ↳ Buddy systems drive completion ↳ Peer feedback loops work magic ↳ Support circles prevent dropout 4️⃣ Active Instructor Presence • Show up consistently • Engage authentically • Guide conversations naturally ↳ Regular office hours matter ↳ Personal responses build trust ↳ Active participation sets the tone 5️⃣ Inclusive Space Design • Clear community guidelines • Diverse representation • Accessible support systems ↳ Everyone feels welcome ↳ All voices get heard ↳ Support reaches everyone The secret isn't more content. It's better connection. Build community first. Everything else follows. How are you designing for connection—not just completion—in your online learning spaces?

Yesterday, I shared that the document camera is the most under-utilized piece of technology in American education. Today, I'll argue that the turn-and-talk is the most misused teaching tool in American education. Far too many teachers and leaders have the misconception that the turn-and-talk is primarily an engagement tool. Teachers see listless students and reflexively say, "Turn and talk with your partner." They then often passively watch the students, and after 30 seconds or so, ask for hands or randomly call on a student ... and then wait for the next listless moment to repeat the cycle. While turn-and-talks can increase engagement, turn-and-talks are primarily a THINKING tool. For a turn-and-talk to truly drive thinking, several things must be true. While this is an incomplete list, these are the must haves: 1. The question must be worthy of discussion. "Discuss with your partner how the student sample on the doc cam meets or doesn't meet our criteria for success" or "Using evidence from the text, is Carla justified in calling her father a 'mean man'?" are good, meaty questions that I've seen in the past 2 weeks visiting schools. "Share your answer" is usually not a good prompt. I've seen two kids turn to each other and say, "12." ... "me too" and then sit there for 30 seconds in response to such a prompt. 2. The teacher must have established and practiced clear turn-and-talk expectations - turn immediately to face each other, conversational/restaurant voice, who goes first, balance air time, build on each other. 3. The teacher must LISTEN to students, prompting or responding when necessary. Too often, I see teachers standing and watching turn-and-talks or using it as a time to prep materials. The best teachers actively listen to and support multiple groups. 4. The teacher must use the data from the listening to strategically cold call 2-3 students to start the discourse after the turn-and-talk. Often, this means cold-calling a student with a partial understanding first ... or intentionally calling on 2 students with different -- but valid -- arguments to jumpstart discourse. 5. The discourse should then have students building on each other, agreeing or disagreeing, and deepening nuance through gentle pushes by the teacher. 6. Most of the time, the turn-and-talk should involve a pre-planned question. Yes, sometimes a teacher flexes and leverages turn-and-talks based on data from work or discourse, but when teachers craft the perfect question in advance, they maximize the chance of success. Just getting kids talking isn't the goal. Getting kids talking to each other about a meaty question in a way that improves the depth of understanding is the goal. So let's leverage the full power of the turn-and-talk as a tool for THINKING, not just engagement.

Learners engage better when they’re not just passive recipients of information. 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲: 🔴 Learners will quickly tune out and forget key concepts. 🔴 There’s no connection between the content and how learners will actually use it. Instead, make your training 𝘥𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴-𝘰𝘯. 1️⃣ Scenario-based learning Create real-world scenarios that challenge learners to think critically and make decisions. Example: 𝘈𝘴𝘬 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘣. 2️⃣ Hands-on practice Give learners the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned through practice exercises and tasks. Example: 𝘜𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘻𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘴. 3️⃣ Group discussions Foster collaboration and deeper learning by encouraging group conversations. Let learners share their experiences and insights in a structured way. Example: 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 4️⃣ Branching scenarios Let learners make choices and see the consequences of their decisions. This helps them see the impact of their actions in a safe, controlled environment. 5️⃣ Reflection questions Encourage personal connection by asking learners to reflect on how the content applies to their own experiences. Example: "𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦?" 6️⃣ Simulations Replicate real-world tasks so learners can practice in a risk-free environment. Simulations allow learners to learn by doing without the consequences of mistakes. 7️⃣ Role play Get learners actively involved by having them step into different roles and practice their responses. Example: 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳. 8️⃣ Practice exercises Reinforce knowledge through repetition. Provide exercises that help learners practice and retain what they’ve learned. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝒐𝒇? ----------------------- 👋 Hi! I'm Elizabeth! ♻️ Repost and share if you found this post helpful. 👆 Follow me for more tips! 🤝 Reach out if you're looking for a high-quality learning solution designed to change the behavior of the learner to meet the needs of your organization. #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #TrainingTips #InteractiveLearning #BehaviorChange

Did you know emotional engagement can boost learning retention by as much as 30%? When learners are emotionally connected to the material, they’re more likely to pay attention, absorb information, and retain it over time. Emotional connections spark curiosity, motivation, and personal relevance—three essential ingredients for effective learning. So, how can we design emotionally engaging learning experiences? Here are a few strategies: ✨ Storytelling: Stories captivate us. Craft narratives that resonate with your audience and relate to the subject matter. For example, sharing a real-world success story can inspire learners to see the material as personally meaningful. ✨ Relatable Scenarios: Put learners in situations they recognize. Scenarios reflecting their day-to-day challenges can help them connect deeply and see the direct application of what they’re learning. ✨ Visual and Emotional Design: Use imagery, colors, and tone that evoke the desired feelings. Whether it’s hope, excitement, or determination, visuals can amplify the emotional impact of your lessons. ✨ Interactive Activities: Let learners immerse themselves in role-playing, simulations, or decision-making exercises. These approaches make content more relatable and memorable. ✨ Empathy-Driven Content: Show that you understand the learner’s perspective. Acknowledging their challenges and aspirations builds trust and emotional resonance. Emotionally engaging learning isn’t just “nice to have”—it’s a game-changer. It transforms passive consumption into active, meaningful engagement and improves retention. How do you tap into emotion to make learning experiences more impactful? #InstructionalDesign #LearningRetention #EmotionalLearning #Storytelling #eLearning

💥 😱 Training is fundamentally broken. Think about it: We spend HOURS listening to lectures, reading books, or watching videos… only to retain almost nothing. The result? Knowledge that fades faster than yesterday’s to-do list. Why? Because passive learning is a trap. We consume knowledge, but we never truly retain it. The solution? 💡 Shift from PASSIVE to ACTIVE learning. This is where the Learning Pyramid comes in. 🔺 What is the Learning Pyramid? It’s a simple, science-backed model that shows how we retain information. And here’s the spoiler: 👉 The secret to learning isn’t listening. It’s DOING. Here’s how it breaks down: 👀 At the top: Passive methods like lectures, reading, and watching videos. 💪 At the bottom: Active methods like practice, group discussions, and teaching others. The difference? 💡 Passive methods = Knowledge INPUT. 💥 Active methods = Knowledge OUTPUT. And guess what? 👉 The magic happens in the output. Imagine this: Instead of your team passively sitting through a 60-minute presentation (retention: 5%)… 💥 They teach the same content to others (retention: 90%). That’s not just a small shift. That’s a GAME. CHANGER. 🤩🤩🤩 SO… how do you level up your learning experiences starting today? 💥 Here’s the powerful truth: The best way to learn something is to teach it. If you’re running a team workshop, client training, or even a simple meeting – make it INTERACTIVE! 😀 Here are 5 easy tools to boost engagement and retention immediately: 1️⃣ Breakout Rooms Don’t let participants sit passively. 💬 Break them into small groups to discuss key topics and collaborate in real-time. Easy to do with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet. 2️⃣ Online Whiteboards (Figma, Miro, Mural) Learning doesn’t just happen through words. Let people sketch, brainstorm, and visually build ideas together during sessions. It taps into visual + active learning modes! 3️⃣ Quizzes & Polls People LOVE immediate feedback. Tools like Slido or Kahoot! make it easy to add live polls and quizzes during your sessions. 4️⃣ Peer Teaching Exercises Want someone to REALLY learn something? 💡 Ask them to teach it to someone else. Teaching forces them to organize their thoughts and solidify their understanding. 5️⃣ Interactive Demos Forget slide decks. SHOW people how something works, then let them try it themselves. The difference? 👀 Passive watching vs. 💪 Active doing. 🔥 Here’s the challenge: If you want your team (or clients) to actually retain what you’re teaching… 👉 Make them do the work. ❌ Stop talking AT them. ✅ Start collaborating WITH them. Because retention doesn’t come from listening. It comes from ACTION. ///// ///// ///// ///// ///// 👋🏻Hi, I’m Andy! Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow me for more. Want to build the future of architecture with me? Let’s start a conversation today. 🌟 #Architecture #Collaboration #Innovation #Leadership #slantisVibes