A common conversation teachers and parents are currently having is about learner engagement. Students can appear apathetic towards completing assignments, diving into the material and really digging into the work at hand. How can we re-engage or engage learners?
A 2020 research study by Amy Berry suggests that students are engaging in passive participation in the classroom by nodding along and responding to questions. The study suggests that this type of student involvement does little for memory retention and deep learning.
Instead, the focus can be shifted to creating an active learning environment where students are setting goals for their learning and making meaningful connections to the objectives. Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey have created a helpful guide to assessing why students have disengaged and how teachers can remove barriers and support student engagement.
