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Mini-Course (Boosting Enagement in K-12 Learners)

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Overview and Purpose

This section provides the learner with an inviting and engaging introduction to the topic of your mini-course, specifies the target learner, and gives an overview of how this course works. The importance of the topic may be demonstrated through problem scenarios, storytelling, case analysis, statistics, etc.

Feel free to name and organize this section (and other sections) in a way that is most effective for your mini-course. For example, designers from the past sometimes set this section into two parts: Introduction, Course Overview (How This Course Works).

Needs Assessment

The educational problem or opportunity

One of the prevailing issues faced by both instructors and learners is engagement in which instructors struggle with creating attractive and exciting lessons and learners struggle with paying attention and remaining engaged. Various factors impact learner engagement such as instructors sticking with conventional teaching methods (rigid, lecture-based lessons where learners are not active participants in their learning), lack of personalization (students do not get a say in what they interact with or do not resonate with the instructional content so they tend to be stuck feeling detached from the lessons), and assessment pressure (the overreliance on high-stakes testing that focuses on rote memorization instead of project-based assignments that allow students more opportunities to practice their critical thinking and creativity) all can contribute to overall student disengagement.

The learners/participants involved

Participants of this mini-course might be teachers, educational training programs, professional development workshops, or anyone who would like to explore new teaching techniques and educational theories. Since teachers are typically at the forefront of creating lessons, they may benefit from this mini-course where they will learn new techniques and strategies for enhancing engagement in their classrooms. Professional development workshops can use these courses to introduce new pedagogical methods, classroom engagement strategies, and instructional design to create engaging lessons. While this mini-course can be applied to all age groups, it may be more effective for middle-school to high-school learners.

What will be learned?

This mini-course focuses on the significance and elements of learner engagement, emphasizing its benefits for both students and educators. Participants of this mini-course will explore various levels of engagement, promote inclusive learning environments, and identify common barriers. It also delves into strategies fostering student involvement through activities, discussions, and reflection, while also emphasizing the importance of diverse engagement opportunities. The unit culminates in assessing and evaluating learner engagement through project-based assessments instead of high-stakes testing, offering a comprehensive framework for designing engaging lessons and maintaining active student participation.

Performance Objectives

After completing this mini-course, learners will be able to:

  • Unit 1:
    • Define learner engagement and its significance in the educational context.
    • Identify the key elements and factors that contribute to learner engagement.
    • Explain the advantages of active learner engagement for both students and educators.
  • Unit 2:
    • Recognize common obstacles to learner engagement, such as distractions, disinterest, and external pressures, and develop strategies to overcome these barriers and rekindle engagement.
  • Unit 3
    • Address the importance of inclusivity and diversity in promoting learner engagement
    • Explore strategies for accommodating various learning styles, needs, and backgrounds
  • Unit 4:
    • Learn methods and strategies for assessing and measuring learner engagement.
    • Discuss the use of surveys, feedback, and observational techniques to evaluate engagement.

Course Units

This mini-course includes the following units. Click the title of a unit to go to its page.

Unit 1: Understanding the Concept of Learner Engagement

Unit 2: Ideal Design Qualities

Unit 3: Using Student Voice to Increase Engagement

Unit 4: Engaging Ways to Check for Understanding

Extended Resources

Improving Pacing: The Rhythm of the Classroom. Retrieved from https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1525455825/davisk12utus/y4p1feoy3hp4mgtwzyri/Pacing-LeaderNotes-final.pdf-...

Schlechty Center on Engagement. (n.d.). Rochester City School District. Retrieved from https://www.rcsdk12.org/sc_pdf_engagement

Spencer, J. (John Spencer), 2017, June 9. The Shift from Engaging Students to Empowering Learners. YouTube. https://youtu.be/BYBJQ5rIFjA?si=Q9HPsijeJXvIV17M

Spencer, J. (John Spencer), 2017, June 17. 7 Things That Happen When Students Own Their Learning. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7S9kyk-odA

Spencer, J. (John Spencer), 2017, December 4. Schlechty's Levels of Engagement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=256hluHbp2o

Bryan's English Club, 2015, December 24. Teach Like a Champion - Improving Your Pacing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b_ADKuxUJQ

Fairfax Network, 2013, December 11. Best Practices: Checking for Understanding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atTFFzcvqfE

Stanford University. (n.d.). Increasing Student Engagement. Stanford Teaching Commons. https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-guides/foundations-course-design/learning-activities/increasing-student-engagement

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