Increasing Student Engagement through Course Attributes, Community, and Classroom Technology: Lessons from the Pandemic

As part of a research study, we conducted instructor and student surveys and interviews to identify supports and barriers during the transition to ERT (18). We found that course attributes, community, and classroom technology were the most frequent support categories that emerged from the student data and that these ideas mentioned were related to reducing cognitive load and increasing student engagement. We defined course attributes as “instructional approaches used and specific components of the course, particularly in the LMS.” Community was defined as “a place or group of people that provides you with a sense of belonging, personal value, and support.” Classroom technology was defined as “having access to, and the effective use of, hardware, software, and instructional resources.” In the sections below, we review our own and previous research findings regarding lessons learned during ERT on course attributes, community, and classroom technology.

The organization and presentation of course material on the LMS can promote student engagement and reduce the cognitive load increased by pandemic-related trauma. According to D. Xu et al. (19), well-organized online courses ensure that the content and materials are consistently broken into distinct learning units of manageable size and presented in a logical progression, such as weekly modules. B. Lake (20) suggested that using a similar sequence and visual appearance in weekly modules on your LMS helps students develop expectations and a routine that will set them up for academic success. Additionally, providing students with an introductory module in the LMS helps students achieve a clear understanding of how to get started, when to find various course components, and how to access different resources online (19), which will ultimately reduce their cognitive load (21). Providing frequent opportunities for participation and interaction among students through online discussion boards allows students to respond to questions, participate equally, and potentially coconstruct knowledge through meaningful discourse (22, 23). Z. Szabo (24) found that the use of peer facilitation in online discussion boards positively impacts student participation and that instructor-facilitated discussions increase the depth and quality of reflections. Finally, assessment plays an important role in the learning process. Formative assessments, like homework or quizzes used during the learning process, help both the instructor and students facilitate and monitor students’ progress toward learning objectives or outcomes. Summative assessments, like projects or exams used at the end of a unit or semester, help evaluate individual mastery of course learning outcomes. The use of frequent low-stakes, formative assessments helps students effectively space their study and practice and more consistently engage with the course content and allows instructors and students to monitor progress and adjust their study strategies when needed (25–27).

V. Tinto (28) theorized that students will increase their levels of satisfaction and the likelihood of persistence in a college program if they feel a sense of belonging and develop relationships with other members of the learning community. The sense of belonging in an academic context can influence individuals’ motivation, achievement, and well-being (29). Traditionally, students assemble and interact before, during, and at the conclusion of a class session, leading to organic opportunities for social interactions. In the online classroom, students are represented as avatars, text on a screen, and sound bites, potentially leading to students becoming disembodied entities and a weakened sense of community (30). One student wrote that she “felt cut off and sort of isolated from the class,” while another noted the “impersonalness of lectures” and the “difficulty of following lectures when the pace is not as connected with the students’ ability to keep up” (18).

While several instructors we interviewed noted the importance of community during ERT, two challenges stand out. First, many noted how difficult communication was with their students. Instructors routinely described being uncertain as to whether students were receiving the information they were sending, and many expressed concerns that the students were being deluged with information, in part because the instructors and teaching assistants were often sending multiple announcements each week. Second, nearly all instructors interviewed noted that “students just become overwhelmed” and many instructors had “concerns for the mental health of [the] students” (18).

Long before the current pandemic, the growing field of academic technology enabled innovative pedagogy and information sharing using emerging technologies. However, when instructors and students were forced into ERT, it became critical to know about, and have access to, hardware, software, and instructional resources to enhance communication, engagement, and the overall student experience. Universities quickly addressed the most critical needs of instructors and students by providing laptops, tablets, hot spots, headsets with microphones, and access to software available in on-campus labs. Pedagogical coaches and instructional designers responded rapidly to provide instructors with a variety of workshops and consultations regarding the effective use of the classroom technologies. Supportive resources focused on course design, effective assessment practices, engagement strategies, classroom response systems (e.g., polling via Zoom), presentation software, capabilities of the LMS, and collaboration tools (17).

During ERT, some instructors felt students were more productive and engaged when camera usage was required, while other instructors felt chat and breakout rooms facilitated group work and community (25). A. Y. Wang and M. H. Newlin (31) advocated the use of synchronous chat rooms as a means of fostering communication and instructor-student and student-student interactions in the online learning environment. Along with synchronous chat rooms, collaborative work in breakout rooms can help students develop a greater sense of community. However, given that many of our students’ out-of-class commitments increased during the pandemic (e.g., employment and care of siblings and/or family members), asynchronous communication via email and discussion boards was equally important.

Many instructors in our recent study (18) mentioned how they appreciated the ease of organizing for group work, whereas others discussed the lack of student (behavioral) engagement once students entered the breakout rooms. We suspect that differences in implementation and group expectations may have contributed to the mixed feelings expressed by faculty. Also, students did not mention anything about breakout rooms specifically, but they did mention that they appreciated synchronous classes, indicating that they liked the personal and live interactions with their peers and the instructor(s). Students also mentioned they appreciated having introductory videos and recorded lectures in each module because these provided them with flexibility in their learning (i.e., cognitive engagement).

Organize course content on the LMS such that students become familiar with expectations and can easily navigate the course materials. We suggest that instructors start to divide content into weekly modules, including an introductory module (or module 0). An introductory module creates a framework for introducing yourself to your students and explaining why you are so interested in the discipline and course (32). One of the main benefits of including an introductory video is to establish instructor presence (33). The introductory module also contains the content of the course syllabus. Following the introductory module, each unit of study should have its own module and follow the same format. A predictable format is created with students in mind. Many instructors develop introductory videos for each unit or content module. These videos, along with other course materials (e.g., readings, quizzes, assignments, etc.), help increase in-class engagement and mastery of the core concepts and competencies. Additionally, we suggest that instructors stop posting unstructured online discussion boards on the LMS. As discussion boards are commonly used in hybrid learning, like flipped classrooms to introduce students to course topics, the key is to make them meaningful, relevant, and instructive so students view them as critical to the learning process and not busywork. Similarly, when assignments are closely aligned with course learning outcomes and assessments, student motivation and engagement increase (34) and cognitive load decreases (35). So, if you already implemented multiple low-stakes, formative assessment, then we recommend you continue them in the future.

To address the loss of community and sense of belonging many students and instructors experienced during ERT, we recommend that instructors start creating space for organic social interactions between students and instructors before, during, and after class. Also, we recommend that instructors stop the deluge of information sent to students and instead compile time-insensitive communications into a weekly announcement sent on the same day each week. This helps ensure that students feel a sense of connectedness to a community and have clarity regarding expectations. Finally, regular “check-ins” at the beginning of class and/or providing a few minutes of silence throughout lectures can help keep students calm and focused on learning (36). To support students’ emotional needs, it is critical for instructors to be more available (e.g., Zoom office hours), supportive, and flexible. We strongly suggest that the work of humanizing and building the learning community continue as we move back to in-person teaching. For example, instructors should be understanding of students’ unique situations and remove deficit language from course material, such as harsh grading and attendance policies in the syllabus.

When it comes to best online practices, we have learned a great deal from our students about the promises and potential pitfalls of academic technologies. Students indicated that they liked the personal and live interactions with their peers and the instructor(s) via Zoom but also appreciated having introductory videos and recorded lectures in each LMS module because these provided them with flexibility in their learning (18). As a result, we recommend that instructors start and/or expand the use of prerecorded lectures, as these provide additional opportunities for students to pause and rewatch the recording. This can help students to take and/or check the adequacy of their course notes, process the content more deeply (e.g., elaboration and reflection), and reference the lecture if something is unclear or confusing. Prerecorded lecture videos can reduce cognitive load by allowing students to watch the videos several times and pause and rewind as needed (37). A primary obstacle to overcome at our institution was access to the necessary hardware, software, and instructional resources to succeed during ERT. For students who normally depended on using on-campus computer labs, having access to a computer and audio-video capabilities became essential. Additionally, students from small, rural communities had the added obstacle of nonexistent or unreliable Internet services. In response, the Division of Undergraduate Education at our institution made laptops, headsets with microphones, and hot spots available for checkout. Yet even with this, we know many students still struggled because either they did not know about these loaner programs or they lacked a quiet spot at home to attend class and study. Moving forward, it will be important to stop classroom technology resource policies that are not equitable (e.g., “students are required to purchase a computer”) and continue loaner programs and/or the options to purchase technology packages at reduced cost upon admission to the university.