Not all students in a class will master material at the same rate.  This tip discusses techniques for verifying that your class is prepared to learn new concepts, as well as ideas for helping those who fall behind.

Even though everyone’s learning journey is very personal, much of the university learning experience takes place in the context of a community and within the constraints of a semester or term schedules. At times, some members of that learning community may not be ready to move on to the next stage of learning.  As teachers we sometimes move on, leaving learners behind, and sometimes these learners never catch up. Without stifling those who are ready to move forward, it is possible to pause and verify that everyone is prepared to move on.

What can we do to ensure that each learner is ready to proceed on the learning journey? 

Identify students who need more help 

Simply ask your students what they understand. Here are three activities that are easy to set up, quick to do, and give you a good sense of what your students know.

Approach 1: Invite students to do a think-pair-share

• Ask students a question.
• Give students appropriate time to formulate a response.
• Have each student turn to another to share his/her response.
• Randomly call on various students to share their responses with the entire class.
• From a sampling of responses, determine if the students are ready to move on.

Approach 2: Conduct class instant polling

• For instant in-class polling, use a classroom response system. New York Tech has a site license for Poll Everywhere, which will work with students in multiple locations; for access, contact Academic Technology Services.
• For outside-of-class polling or surveys try a tool like Qualtrics. New York Tech has a site license; for access, contact Academic Technology Services.

Approach 3: Invite students to complete one-minute papers

• At the end of each class period, invite learners to answer questions about the experience (e.g., “What is the most significant thing you learned in class today?” or “What is still confusing about what was covered in class today?”)
• Collect and review the responses to determine who is ready to move on and who needs additional instruction.

Provide additional learning opportunities

Everyone has the potential to learn, even though he may represent the proverbial “last wagon.”  Teachers can use a few simple practices to help students make steady progress in their learning.

Approach 1: Use low stake quizzes 

• Low stake quizzes are worth few or no points.  
• Low stake quizzes can provide opportunities for students to demonstrate learning.  
• Significantly, electronic quizzes have the advantage of automatic grading and automatic feedback.

Approach 2: Model and practice

• Explain a concept or model a process that students need to master. 
• Then break students into teams to practice, following your example. 
• When the class comes together, select a sampling of students to demonstrate what was learned. 
• Provide immediate constructive and confirming feedback.

Use the early alert system

If you are concerned that a student needs assistance beyond what you can provide, use the Early Alert System. An advisor will contact the student to offer academic coaching, tutoring, or other appropriate supports. This semester, more than any other semester as we try to return to some sense of normalcy by resuming in-person classes, it will be critical to identify students who are demonstrating behaviors that might put them at risk for not completing your course (or the semester) successfully. Doing so as early as possible is key to positively impacting student success. Take a moment and issue an alert – your students will thank you!

Resources:

• Angelo, Thomas A. and K. Patricia Cross. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993)
• Davis, Barbara Gross. Tools for Teaching 2nd edition (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009)
• McKeachie, Wilbert J. Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers 10th edition (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999)
• Minute Paper
• Think-Pair-Share
• Navigate Guide to Issuing Alerts

Contributor:
Travis Johnson
Center for Teaching & Learning
Brigham Young University