As you seek to increase engagement it is crucial that students know exactly what you mean when you discuss participation or engagement and what they can expect from you in return. You might consider some of the questions below to set expectations with your students.
What can students expect from you?
- How will you grade participation, engagement, or group projects?
- How will you communicate with students about deadlines, assignments, projects, syllabus changes?
- How often will you communicate? When can they expect you to reply to emails?
- How will you respond to feedback—positive or negative—about course activities?
What do you expect from students?
- How often should students participate in class discussions? What is “meaningful” participation?
- How can students participate in synchronous sessions?
- Particularly in large format classes, how do you expect students to communicate their needs, what they do and do not understand, what questions they have?