Encourage student engagement in learning 1. Many of us remember the days when going to class meant listening to an instructor’s lecture, frantically trying to take notes of the important points—and wondering what the important points were! Today we know that if students are engaged in the topic under consideration, thinking critically about the subject matter and under- standing ways in which the material can be applied in a context (like a clinical situation), they are more likely to apply what they have learned in another situation. When the instructor sets up such an environment, student engagement with the learning is more likely to occur. Understanding what student engagement means is the first step in this process. The box below provides a definition of student engagement. In contrast, when an instructor spends most
Definition of Student Engagement Students pay attention, demonstrate curiosity, interest, and passion about the learning process. These emotions increase the student’s motivation to remain on task and learn. Student Engagement is “a psychological investment in learning.”
of the time in class talking, rather than listening, student engagement is less likely to be present.
Why? Research on the brain finds that one’s attention span tends to be about 10-20 minutes at a time. During that period, the
brain makes a quick determination of what is important. If the content being provided in a class does not feel important to the student, their thoughts will move on to something they do consider important—maybe even what they will have for lunch. So HOW can instructors engage students in class, lab, and clinical experiences? Euler (2018) reviewed literature in psychology, biology, and neuroscience to determine the most current evidence regarding how humans learn. He identified five conditions within the student which, if present, will improve their engagement: 1. CURIOSITY —the student is interested in knowing more about the content being discussed. 2. SOCIAL BELONGING —connection to the teacher and other students by sharing ideas and experiences provides the feeling of belonging to a group. 3. EMOTION —dry facts won’t spark a student’s engagement; emotions must be tapped. Considering how abnormal lab values affect a client’s condition is much more likely to stimulate an emotion than being required to learn normal and abnormal lab values without a client context. 4. FAILURE —if humans fail and they are provided with an opportunity to reflect on the failure, they may learn different approaches when faced with a similar circumstance in the future. Helping students
recognize that failure is a part of learning is an effective teaching strategy. 5. AUTHENTICITY —the recognition that a situation being discussed is “real.”
Certainly, it is much easier for students to be engaged in a well-designed lab or actual clinical experience because these activities, by their very nature, require students to be engaged. However, what can we do to encourage student engagement in the classroom? Nursing students learn by and in situations that involve clients. Bringing clinical into the classroom, as described by Benner, et. al, (2010) requires the use of case studies, clinical stories, and discussions about client care. This approach requires instructors to shift the focus in class from content about diseases to nursing care of clients with selected diseases. For example, in the past, nursing instructors have lectured in depth about the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus. Today, the focus in the classroom should be caring for a patient with symptoms of diabetes based on an understanding of the pathophysiology.
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