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Student EngagementJason C. Johnson, Sr.Liberty UniversityAbstractMost students would admit that they are not spending forty-five to sixty hours per week involving themselves in a combination of classes and completing schoolwork. Due to a lack of engagement, many students graduate much later than expected, or not at all. One of the best ways to promote student engagement in the classroom is to encourage class participation. The reason why traditional distance education methods are less used by the millennial generation and younger is that the internet has proved to be a far more effective way of fostering student engagement. Students who are not used to an online classroom may feel more at home if they receive consistent and timely communication from faculty and online administrators. There is much technology that can assist faculty in maintaining their students' attention. Keywords: coursework, engagement, faculty, feedback, games, innovative, online, organic, social, student Student EngagementUniversities, political scientists, and policymakers have invested many years of research on how to get students more engaged. Kuh et al. is cited in Undergraduate Research for Student Engagement and Learning stating that student engagement is “the amount of time and effort students put into their studies and other activities that lead to the experiences and outcomes that constitute student success,” and “the ways the institution allocates resources and organizes learning opportunities and services to induce students to participate in and benefit from such activities” (Murray, 2017, p. 35). Time and effort are the two most important determinants of a student’s success.Theoretical FrameworkIt is easy to establish how engaged a student is with their coursework by looking at the amount of time that they spend in class and on out-of-class reading and homework assignments. According to Jack Tai, “In college, a good rule of thumb for homework estimates that for each college credit you take, you’ll spend one hour in the classroom and two to three hours on homework each week...Extrapolating this out to the 15-credit course load of a full-time student, that would be 15 hours in the classroom and 30 to 45 hours studying and doing homework” (2019, p. 1). Most students would admit that they are not spending forty-five to sixty hours per week involving themselves in a combination of classes and completing schoolwork. An article published in USA TODAY confirms that “According to the National Survey of Student Engagement’s findings, the average student spends about 17 hours each week preparing for classes. Preparation for classes includes homework, reading and any other assignments” (Pierre, 2014, p. 1).Students should invest in college as much as a full-time employee invests in their job. Findings show that most students are not meeting this expectation. Many students graduate much later than expected, or in many cases, they do not graduate at all. Universities and researchers have been proactive about finding ways to engage students better and perpetuate higher retention rates. Several examples will be stated through the remainder of this essay that demonstrate how students can and have been better engaged by their faculty and school administrations. The Source of a Student’s EngagementUniversities use a wide range of measures to enhance student engagement. One of the first things that must be done in order to promote student engagement is to establish a proper way of assessing current engagement. Tomlinson mentions that "At a pan-institutional level, a range of formal evaluative measures are used by institutions to capture how engaged students are, the areas where this is most manifest and the modes of institutional practice which might be enabling positive engagement. The most specific student engagement measurement tool concerning the formal measurement of student engagement is the National Survey of Student Engagement [NSSE] (2017, p. 43). Upon proper evaluation of students' engagement using the NSSE tool, universities know what is working with students and which areas need more attention.Once there is a plan in place to measure student engagement, it is vital that faculty foster this engagement. One of the best ways to promote student engagement in the classroom is to encourage class participation. When a student feels like they have something to offer their fellow students, they may be more likely to stay engaged. Edward Matthews makes an excellent point that "In many classrooms, students are taught to sit quietly and take in the lesson from the teacher. Unfortunately, this is a passive and boring way to learn. To make your classroom more engaging, be sure to give students ample opportunities to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions on whatever topic you're learning about" (2019, p. 3). Classroom inclusion is an essential step towards overall student engagement, but classroom engagement alone is not enough to retain students for the long haul. It is important to note the impact of organic engagement in place of non-organic engagement.How Organic Is Student Engagement?Non-organic means are often used to increase student retention. Universities with good intentions look for ways to help students engage so that they can perform better academically. However, as Tomlinson states, “Whilst there may appear to be a positive alignment between class practice and student learning, elements of participative compliance potentially subvert the kinds of student-centered, constructivist-orientated activities which are claimed to be integral to student engagement. Furthermore, it might be argued that in the drive to elicit positive and measurable student outcomes — immediate satisfaction, improved academic performance, good grades and higher retention rates — the converse may be occurring.” (2017, p. 47). It is important to look beyond the surface to understand everything that encourages students to remain engaged.Academics are always necessary, but there is no substitute for the balance a student gains from being involved in extracurricular activities. Vincent Tinto states that “Though the research is far from complete, it is apparent that the more students are involved in the social and intellectual life of a college, the more frequently they make contact with faculty and other students about learning issues, especially outside the class, the more students are likely to learn” (1993, p. 69). College is a time for building experiences that will open a variety of doors throughout a student’s lifetime. Only by getting involved in the social life of a campus can a student genuinely say they have had the full college experience.Engaging Online LearnersDistance education once consisted of students receiving coursework by way of the U.S. Postal Service. Videotaped lectures, textbooks, and other study materials would be sent to the student's home by mail and mailed back to the institution once completed. Similar to the video dating of the late 1980s, this distance education approach is an outdated practice if not altogether obsolete. The reason why the millennial generation far less uses the distance education methods of old is that the internet has proved to be a far more effective way of fostering student engagement. The online educational environment is not without its limitations. However, it is an effective way for students to engage with their lesson plans and to interact with their faculty and classmates. In an article published on the Faculty Focus website, students are interviewed and explain what makes them feel more engaged in their online classes. In light of their probing of online students, suggestions are given to faculty to help them to engage students better. One recommendation given is that "Many online students are working adults, so making course content applicable to their real-world experiences is very important to keeping them engaged...Good assignments involve students using research skills, developing ideas for a product, or solving a problem that requires creative thinking skills” (Bigatel, 2016, pp. 3-4). When students are given assignments that they can apply to their everyday lives, it makes the material more relatable and less like busywork.Especially when teaching older students, they may have difficulty navigating through online classes as they are more accustomed to a traditional classroom environment. When students feel like their professors support them, they tend to do better in their classes. Students who are used to a brick and mortar classroom may find it difficult to know how to do something as submitting an assignment to an online portal.Helping students to understand their coursework requirements also goes a long way. Students who are not used to an online classroom may feel more at home if they receive consistent and timely communication from faculty and online administrators. On faculty and student interactions, Bigatel shares that it is important to “Be present in discussion forums or blogs by responding to students’ posts, asking probing questions so as to model how you want students to ask more critical questions of their peers, encouraging students to ask probing questions to peer responses, and sending out emails or announcements, if needed, to spur the conversation on” (2016, p. 3). Innovative Engagement StrategiesStaying current with the times is helpful when keeping students engaged. There is much technology that can assist faculty in maintaining their students' attention. One way is to have students demonstrate their subject knowledge in real-time using an electronic device in the classroom. The Harvard Graduate School of Education recently reported that "In a review of previous research on iPad use in higher education, researchers found that students hold positive attitudes about using iPads in the classroom and are motivated to learn when using the technology” (2016, p. 2). Such an approach makes education more tangible, which to many students, equates to being more attainable. One study found that using digital games can be especially helpful for engaging minority students. According to Misra, Eyombo, & Phillips, “Twenty-first-century learners and, more specifically, minority students are adept at using emerging technologies to access information, collaborate, and share their ideas” (2019, p. 59). Most students today are used to accessing information electronically. When playing a game, they can retain the information in a much greater way because the learning is much more hands-on than merely listening to a lecture. The article goes on to say that "applying visual design principles as well as the multimedia design principles in creating educational games can potentially make the games engaging for users. Since visual communication relies on both eye and brain function, it makes sense of all the sensory information received” (2019, p. 61). Although some instructors may be hesitant to use certain distracting technologies inside of the classroom, innovative teaching techniques prove to be worth the risk when the goal is maintaining student engagement.A Biblical Perspective on Student EngagementWhen a student is engaged in their coursework, they will be more likely to thrive academically. Many students lack the motivation to remain in school because they do not see the purpose of studying or how it may be pleasing to the Lord. The right combination of organic motivation from a teacher, purposeful attention to study by students, and for them to have hearts set on honoring God is the best recipe for student engagement and retention. Teachers are measured by how well they connect with and implant knowledge into their students. Students are then assessed by how well they can apply the knowledge they have received from their teachers. For this reason, student success is a two-way street. The joint effort put forth by students and teachers comes down to the biblical principle of diligence. Colossians 3:23, 24 (New International Version) states, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Believers must serve God in all aspects of life, which includes education.Students must dedicate themselves to learning and applying knowledge with all of their hearts just as their instructors should wholeheartedly devote themselves to perfecting the craft of teaching. Ultimately, choosing to serve God by being faithful in either learning or teaching will lead to a reward from the Lord. In this case, the reward might be retention, which is beneficial for the student and the teacher. When a student is wholly invested in their studies, their engagement will significantly decrease the chances that they will terminate their education prematurely. The student will be satisfied because of the doors that their education will open for them, intellectually and vocationally. Instructors will be equally satisfied because they will see the fruit of their faithfulness to the Lord in the success of their students, which gives them a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose. In so doing, God will be honored and glorified by the persistent engagement of the teacher and the student.SummaryThe first step towards student engagement is to learn how to recognize what is useful and what is not. Faculty must engage students on several different levels, including organically, non-organically, electronically and digitally. Most students do not spend an adequate amount of time on their homework. Giving students relevant assignments brings their studies to life and can significantly foster engagement and retention. Interactions with students, whether in person or online, helps them to stay connected and feel like more of an essential member of the class. When a student is given the proper feedback on their coursework submissions, they are more likely to improve and ultimately pass their courses. A teacher's job should be to do everything they know to do to help their students to become successful academically, socially, and experientially.ReferencesBigatel, Ph.D., P. M. (2016, March 14). Student Engagement Strategies for the Online Learning Environment. Retrieved from Graduate School of Education. (2016). Using the iPad for interactive problem solving. Retrieved from . (2019, January 29). How to promote student engagement in the classroom. Retrieved from , R., Eyombo, L., & Phillips, F. T. (2019). Digital games for minority student engagement: Emerging research and opportunities. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.Murray,?J.?L. (2017).?Undergraduate Research for Student Engagement and Learning. London, England: Routledge.Pierre,?K. (2014, August 18). How much do you study? Apparently 17 hours a week is the norm. Retrieved from . (2019, October 9). How Much Time Do College Students Spend on Homework. Retrieved from , V. (1993). Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Tomlinson, M. (2017). Student Engagement: Towards A Critical Policy Sociology. Higher Education Policy, 30(1), 35-52. doi:10.1057/s41307-016-0035-3 ................
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