I 💯 agree that getting to know students is important. When student feel known and/seen, they def get a motivation boost. I always survey my students the week before classes start and refer to the info at several points in the semester.
Mixing up what we do in the class from period to period is great practice too, but from a Cognitive Psych/Learning Science perspective we should be doing this for different reasons. The advice from Cognitive Scientist Daniel Willingham is that we should change activities based on content, not on students. Some content lends itself well to hands-on lab type activities, some content can be “seen” in video footage and other content is best engaged with via reading, lecture, and discussion. Dual coding is always useful, but this is about blending verbal and visual cues, to offer learners two access points when trying to recall it in future.
When we focus too heavily on individuals we send an implicit message that feeds a fixed mindset and undermines motivation (“this activity, suits me— finally I can succeed”) whereas focusing instead on content and how to best engage with the material keeps the focus on learning the material, something everyone is capable of. As well, mixing things up helps keep attention fresh.
All that is to say: while your recommendations are great, the reasons for why they are sound are different, when viewed more deeply through Cognitive and Motivational Science.
If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend: Why don’t students like school? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4959061 — it’s written for secondary school teachers but applies just as well to undergrads!
I 💯 agree that getting to know students is important. When student feel known and/seen, they def get a motivation boost. I always survey my students the week before classes start and refer to the info at several points in the semester.
Mixing up what we do in the class from period to period is great practice too, but from a Cognitive Psych/Learning Science perspective we should be doing this for different reasons. The advice from Cognitive Scientist Daniel Willingham is that we should change activities based on content, not on students. Some content lends itself well to hands-on lab type activities, some content can be “seen” in video footage and other content is best engaged with via reading, lecture, and discussion. Dual coding is always useful, but this is about blending verbal and visual cues, to offer learners two access points when trying to recall it in future.
When we focus too heavily on individuals we send an implicit message that feeds a fixed mindset and undermines motivation (“this activity, suits me— finally I can succeed”) whereas focusing instead on content and how to best engage with the material keeps the focus on learning the material, something everyone is capable of. As well, mixing things up helps keep attention fresh.
All that is to say: while your recommendations are great, the reasons for why they are sound are different, when viewed more deeply through Cognitive and Motivational Science.
If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend: Why don’t students like school? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4959061 — it’s written for secondary school teachers but applies just as well to undergrads!