Lance Markowitz is a junior at Oakland University, a legislator for Student Congress, and the founder of the Student Engagement Task Force. Learn more about the student perspective from him and fellow student task force members through a recording of the student engagement panel event on March 23. Lance’s goal is to connect with as many faculty as he can, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to him and schedule a meeting ([email protected]).

With a phone in every student's pocket, it’s harder than ever to keep students engaged. The pandemic furthered this trend as a storm of mental health issues further disengaged students from their classes. A post-pandemic academic culture has emerged, as students are rewarded with passing grades for simply going through the motions, which oftentimes consists of little emphasis on the learning process and sustained knowledge.

As a competitive hockey player nearly all of my life, one of the most important lessons I have learned is to maximize every repetition. Coaches formulate a practice plan that allows players to complete every rep of every drill with a purpose. Drills provide the opportunity to focus on the small details and improve gradually. This same attention to detail is lacking in many classes that rely on passive learning techniques. Students become so disengaged that their desire to learn is replaced by a desperation to pass. In a questionnaire I conducted of OU students, one student reported that “most teachers just read from the PowerPoint, which more often than not becomes stale and uninteresting.” Another student cited similar frustrations reporting that “[their professors] just lecture and don't really engage with the class. [They] just talk for an hour and a half straight.”  If passive learning strategies are not engaging students, what can professors do to help their students reengage?

Building a Rapport

Rapport–building can seem like a daunting task, but in actuality, simply being personable is the first step towards building a rapport with students. The more students see their professors as people, the stronger the rapport. The easiest and most common way for professors to build rapport is through humor (Plous). Comedy is a powerful tool for creating a more comfortable environment, where students can both laugh and learn. 

One common misconception about rapport is that the professor needs to know each student on an individual level. This may feel impossible with larger classes, so having students fill out a questionnaire using Google Forms, simplifies the rapport-building process. Additionally, professors can give a presentation about their background, interests, and goals to help students get to know them (“Iowa” 2). Students feel cared about when professors take time to learn their names, come early or stay after class, and check in on struggling students. Learning of course is the number one priority, but being supportive and flexible allows struggling students to surpass barriers in the way of their learning, such as mental health. In fact, professors who are “encouraging, engaging, and [have] a dynamic personality” not only receive higher reviews of their classes, but also correlate with stronger academic performances from their students (qtd. in Richmond et al.).

Get Students Involved: Conversations with OU Faculty

Plan Variety in Class, from Chiaoning Su
Another student reported that the repetition of the same lecture-heavy class structures “have [him feeling] so tired that it feels like a chore every time to even show up.” I began pursuing the help of faculty to better address this sentiment. I started my search on Ratemyprofessors.com, so I could read student reviews for the recent winners of the Teaching Excellence Award. I noticed that many of these professors were applauded by students for their easy classes, but few discussed any differentiation in teaching methods. 

Professor Chiaoning Su on the other hand, stood out with 4.9/5 stars and reviews raving about her ability to build a rapport, and make classes interesting, relevant, and fun. While meeting with me, Professor Su emphasized the importance of variety in her classes. She described how she made each class different, by using a combination of group work, real-life examples, guest speakers, and humor to make each of her classes unique and relevant. When asked about rapport-building, Professor Su said that she likes to be seen as a “big sister,” which reflects her desire to promote an open learning environment without a significant power dynamic. 

Build Feedback Through Student Interaction
Student engagement strategies also provide professors with immediate feedback on their students’ comprehension. Asking questions is a skill, and while voluntary questions are a good way to get a small subsection of students involved, strategies like polling and game-based learning help get the whole class involved. 

Poll Everywhere is a great resource to get immediate feedback from students, in addition to getting students thinking. Similarly, Red Douglas, an Oakland graduate student, reported that the use of Jamboard and Padlet in his classes allowed for students to anonymously post comments and questions to be addressed. He also pointed out that “anonymity encourages engagement from those who may otherwise shy away from participating.” 

Review games like Kahoot and Quizlet Live also provide immediate feedback on student comprehension while promoting a healthy amount of competitiveness. In fact, after suggesting more student engagement in my Intro to Management Information Systems class, the professor immediately implemented a quick five minute Kahoot at the end of every class. The Kahoot usually occurred after the class was over, and despite being optional, nearly every student stayed after class to play. The key towards improving Oakland’s academic culture lies in the deprioritizing of rote memorization in favor of instruction strategies that get every student involved and thinking critically.

Getting Students to Buy-in on Active Learning
Overall, there has been a big push in pedagogy towards active learning, and for good reason. Students have become too comfortable with memorizing their way to a passing grade. As a center for higher learning, Oakland University must work towards a learning environment that is more fun, engaging, and impactful. This does not mean that textbooks should no longer be used, but that they should be supplemental resources, as opposed to the only resource.

Transparency is crucial for pushing students towards this new culture of learning. Students need to be a part of the change, and providing clear explanations to assignments and teaching methods is a way that every professor can increase transparency in their classrooms. 

As elementary school students, we are all intrinsically motivated to learn while we attempted to make sense of the world. By high school, most of us had replaced this intrinsic motivation to learn, with a desire for good grades. While good grades are important, it is our job to make learning not just more efficient, but fun again.

References and Resources 

Douglas, Red. Personal interview. 7 March 2023

“Iowa State University’s Student Engagement Task Force (2022) Recommendations.” Https://www.provost.iastate.edu/, 13 June 2022. 

Markowitz, Lance. “Student Engagement Questionnaire.” https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Gpx31xW8SdAPZvIcrAgJH1LGRvCngoNhQPYvSODUtzA/edit?edit_requested=true#responses. 10 March 2023

Plous, Scott. “Social Psychology Network.” Creating Rapport in the Classroom,. 

Richmond, Aaron S, et al. “A + (B1) Professor–Student Rapport + (B2) Humor + (B3) Student ...” Https://Journals.sagepub.com/, 2015.

Su, Chiaoning. Personal interview. 2 February 2023 

Save and adapt a Google Doc version of this teaching tip.

About the Author

Lance Markowitz is a junior at Oakland University, a legislator for Student Congress, and the founder of the Student Engagement Task Force. His work with the task force also includes meetings with faculty and students, creation and promotion of a student questionnaire, and the planning of a Student Panel event for faculty. Lance’s goal is to connect with as many faculty as he can, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to him and schedule a meeting ([email protected]).

Others may share and adapt under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC. 

View all CETL Weekly Teaching Tips. 

Case studies are a tried-and-true learning activity meant to put practitioners in hypothetical yet realistic situations, carefully chosen to assess their specific knowledge and skills. Similarly, using scenarios for the situations we hope to never or seldom encounter will help us not only be better prepared for such situations but help us be more confident every day.

Use case studies to learn how to respond to student behaviors.

Think through times when you have encountered a significant challenge in class, especially at a time when you were uncertain of what to do or the stakes seemed very high. Also walk through scenarios that you have not experienced (e.g., verbal fights among students in class, a medical emergency). Act through what you would do as thoroughly as possible, from being able to dial the phone number of whom you would contact to how you would move in the spaces you are currently teaching. Consider these two scenarios:

Scenario 1: Potential In-Class Instructor-Student Escalation
On an exam day, a student has a phone on his desk. After asking the student to take it off, he refuses. As you insist, his voice and body language is increasingly hostile and he continues to neither put away his phone or leave.

Scenario 2: Harassment Disclosure During Office Hours
After reaching out to a student concerned about their sudden decline in course performance, they come to your office hours and begin to tell you they are being harassed by a student in class.

When considering your responses to case studies or scenarios, it is helpful to think about:

• What went right, and what do you wish went differently? 
• What would have helped you be better prepared? 
• What resources would help students to avoid this situation?
• Your responses and thoughts regarding these case studies can help you problem-solve ways to handle classroom conflicts and be prepared.

Educate yourself.

Consider the range of training offered related to emergency management, mental health, sexual misconduct, and others. Select those that are most accessible, manageable, relevant, and that help you build underdeveloped skills or knowledge. You can find these learning opportunities on the OUPD’s Emergency Management and Campus Safety pages and shared through various OU newsletters. 

Consider training to prevent and address discrimination, or general life changes and challenges for students such as those offered by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Center for Multicultural Initiatives, and the Gender and Sexuality Center.

When you sign up for an event, invite colleagues to do it with you.

Keep a Help Contact List for Faculty on hand.

This one-page sheet includes who to reach out to for help related to technology and safety while also leaving an open table for you to list anticipated issues and who you would contact.

Review the OU syllabus template’s policies section.

Whether you use this template and its policies section, use this section to stay informed of new and updated policies. For instance, you may not have thought about what to do if a student shares an instance of sexual harassment or if they disclose food- or housing-insecurities.

Share preparedness with students.

As you review the policies in your syllabus, plan for at least one point in the semester when you intentionally bring this information into course activities. 

• Plan a specific week to take 5-10 minutes to discuss emergency preparedness, such as giving students the link to sign up for emergency notifications, asking students if they know where the closest first aid kit is, and what they can do if they are experiencing discrimination or harassment.
• Plan a specific week to take 5-10 minutes to discuss generally what support is available to students with various life needs. This can even be described as support if students “know of someone” who may be in need.
• If you use an online appointment calendar for office/student hours, add a note in the description about the necessity to report disclosures of sexual misconduct.

Conclusion: It’s Not All on You

When preparedness is attended to systematically, it takes relatively little time and makes you feel better equipped in uncertain times, and makes you more confident you can help those you care about when they need it most. While instructors are often the first to recognize a range of student issues, you are not expected to be a therapist, emergency responder, and social worker. This preparedness is not just about you being able to respond in the moment, but also knowing who to call on.

You have likely already heard about a relatively “new” teaching modality at Oakland University: HyFlex. The registrar's office defines HyFlex instruction as when a “course combines in-person and online learning” and “students can choose their mode of participation.” In other words, students can decide whether to attend each class session online or on campus. A HyFlex course “is designed for this flexibility and enables equal student learning in all participation modes.” To provide equal engagement in this course design e-Learning and Instructional Support (e-LIS) department offers HyFlex Guides, a HyFlex eSpace, Workshops, 1-on-1 appointments, and department-specific workshops (for department specific workshops email [email protected]).

What Tech Is Needed and Available for HyFlex?

At OU, general purpose classrooms are outfitted with a webcam and a podium microphone. This is a great starting place for teaching with HyFlex. Now, however, CSITS is making it even easier for more instructors to teach with HyFlex instruction by updating technology in new GrizzFlex classrooms. These classrooms have multiple cameras to help online participants view the in-person instructor, students, and whiteboards. In GrizzFlex rooms, there are also overhead microphones around the classroom, which allow students to be heard by their virtual counterparts regardless where they are seated in the classroom. As more classrooms are updated with this technology, HyFlex is becoming an increasingly accessible modality for faculty to try.

HyFlex as an OU Course Code

There are also new registration features that will help students identify opportunities to take HyFlex classes. Starting for summer semester 2023, students will be able to see HyFlex listed as one of the available instructional methods when registering for classes. Displaying the type of instruction will be helpful for many students when deciding in which courses to enroll. By showing the students the available instructional methods, they will be able to select courses that best suit their schedules and learning styles. Offering more instructional methods like this will give students more flexibility and help support the university’s Strategic Goal #1 of fostering student success. 

If you have any questions about the new registration features, contact the registrar at [email protected] or by phone at (248) 370-3450.

Reflections on Experiencing HyFlex

In November 2022, the Instructional Design team at e-LIS partnered with Classroom Support to deliver a workshop to demonstrate best practices for HyFlex classes. Chad Bousley facilitated the workshop, and Danielle Nicholson was present as an online participant and Zoom chat facilitator.

Chad’s facilitator thoughts: “It was easy to answer questions from the attendees in the room, so I had to be aware of the online participants and take pauses to make sure the online participants weren’t being ignored or left behind. Coming in early to test the technology vastly helped make the workshop run more smoothly. Thankfully when the virtual participants had a question or wanted to make a comment, they could be heard loud and clear, and when in-person participants asked questions, the overhead microphones made it easier for the virtual participants to hear them clearly.” 

Danielle’s virtual attendee thoughts: "As someone who both hosts my own workshops with e-LIS and takes regular courses at OU, I really appreciate the increasing use of HyFlex practices across campus. Being able to watch and virtually participate in events helps me to stay connected to the OU community, whether I'm sick, snowed-in, or just want to stay home. The e-LIS HyFlex workshop was a great experience that really sold me on HyFlex. Thanks to the GrizzFlex technology, I could see and hear everyone in the classroom. Some in-person participants also brought their own laptops, so they could read and respond to the Zoom chat individually, and that further helped collaboration and discussion. It also helped to have 1-2 people (in-person and online) specifically assigned to monitor the chat to make sure everyone was heard and acknowledged. HyFlex does take some practice, but it really is worth it. If you want to learn more about this modality, I highly encourage attending an e-LIS HyFlex workshop."

Megan Widman MSW, Social Work Instructor thoughts: “I've found that teaching in a HyFlex format has created a deeper sense of community in my classes. HyFlex creates a class environment that is more inclusive and accessible for all students, especially those that may have chronic illnesses or are primary caregivers to a child or other family member. I have noticed less student absences when teaching HyFlex courses, which leads to better learning outcomes. One of the tips I have for those who are teaching a HyFlex course for the first time is to prepare. This includes reaching out to e-LIS for support on HyFlex teaching best practices and CSITS to learn what technology is available in your classroom. Preparation also entails arriving to the classroom early to ensure that you have time to set up everything, including starting the Zoom meeting and testing the audio. I will also assign one student who I know is attending on Zoom to be a co-host, so they can let people into the virtual classroom if I am busy lecturing. Finally, I always have two extra batteries with me for the microphone in case the batteries run out in the middle of class. This has proved useful on more than one occasion!”

HyFlex Best Practices

Thinking about teaching HyFlex? Here are a few best practices to get you started:

• Upload any documents, information or materials to Moodle before the lecture begins so students can access everything seamlessly during the lecture.
• Use a virtual whiteboard and document camera. This will help to ensure that there is an equitable environment for in-person and virtual students. If you are only referring to a paper in your hand or something written on the whiteboard in the classroom, then the virtual students will not be able to see what you are showing the in-person students. The e-LIS HyFlex Teaching eSpace includes recommended tech options for HyFlex whiteboard equivalents.
• Design opportunities for collaboration between students regardless of modality. 
• • Students can work together as one learning community and do not need to be separated by modality. If/when your in-person students bring laptops, they can pair with online students for group work. 
  • There's no drawbacks in mixing students in the online and in-person environments as long as students know how to control their mics and speakers. Have students mute the mics on their personal devices and silence their devices’ sound whenever the classroom mics and speakers are being used.

Conclusion

It’s an exciting time to teach HyFlex at Oakland University! New registration features will make these instructional methods clear to students and provide more transparency in the registration process. More classrooms are also being updated with technology to make HyFlex instruction run smoothly. However, you don’t have to wait for a fully equipped GrizzFlex room to try this modality’s practices yourself. Experiment with whatever technology is available to you, and see what works best for you and your students. For more information on HyFlex tool recommendations and best practices, a great place to start is the HyFlex eSpace in the references and resources section. 

There are multiple offices on campus working to support faculty and students in this modality, and more resources are being developed every day. As we all continue to explore this new modality, sharing our experiences, advice, and recommendations with each other will help us all become more comfortable and confident with it.

References and Resources

• e-LIS: Best Practices in HyFlex & Classroom Technology eSpace
• e-LIS: HyFlex Quick Guide for Instructors (Google Doc)
• CETL: Flexible Teaching with Hybrid and HyFlex Workshop Resources (Google Doc)
• e-LIS: Engagement ideas for HyFlex
• Oakland Post Article on new registration features

Save and adapt a Google Doc version of this teaching tip.

About the Authors

Chad Bousley (he/him) is an Instructional Designer at e-LIS. Chad Bousley is an Instructional Designer at e-LIS, who helps faculty with online course design, creating interactive activities and implementing online teaching best practices.  Outside of the classroom, Chad enjoys learning foreign languages and playing guitar.

Danielle Nicholson (she/her) is an Instructional Designer at e-LIS. She helps faculty use technology to make their online teaching experience easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable. In her free time, she enjoys reading and nature walks.

Image from Pixabay. Others may share and adapt under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC. 

View all CETL Weekly Teaching Tips.