Using Writing To Enhance Student Engagement And Participation

It is only sometimes possible for students to remain engaged and motivated to study new things in the classroom. And you can't blame them too much for that since the learning process takes time and effort to keep concentration. However, professors cannot help but be upset that some students always take the initiative into their own hands while others try to sit quietly at the back of the lecture hall. 

But what to do in such a case? For example, you can use writing assignments in class that require little effort. It will help you achieve engagement and participation from all the students who attend your class. Asking them to stop, reflect on the material and then write their thoughts on paper will be considered a good use of time. 

On the contrary, such activity will allow learners to understand concepts better, recognize incomprehensible points, and form a proper reaction to the material. If this approach appeals to you, you will find this article extremely useful because it contains effective strategies that you can use to conduct interactive lectures and seminars.

Writing to Begin Class

It is a good idea to begin a class by asking students to review what they have learned in the course before they start a new lection. It will help them refresh their memory of what they have learned. After that, ask trainees to compose and write questions or comments on the text they read. 

If students have already completed a particular writing assignment for your class, you can ask them to exchange their work with a neighbor and have them write a response. To increase student engagement, you can post a writing prompt on the board and ask them to engage in free writing during the first 7-15 minutes of class. Incorporating these simple steps into every activity will motivate young people to actively engage in learning activities and focus on the new material.

In-Class Writing

If you use small breaks in lectures and discussions to engage in informal writing during class, your students are much more likely to maintain active participation during the learning process. To test how well they have grasped the material, you can ask them to write a few sentences responding to a prompt related to the topic being taught. 

For example, when introducing a complex concept, ask trainees to explain the idea in their own words or connect it with their personal experience. It will help solidify the concept in the students' minds and ensure the material is absorbed.

AI in Writing

 

Since AI is evolving tremendously, you should teach your students the right attitude toward this technical tool. Unfortunately, many people see AI simply as a way to accomplish most work or learning tasks without effort. However, this is the wrong approach, as Artificial Intelligence should help you with mechanical tasks and facilitate the search process but not do everything for a person.

Otherwise, what is the point of it? For example, the Write My Essays writing service can help students improve their writing skills through many valuable features. So naturally, writing progress will also positively impact students' motivation.

Discussion Board Feature

Studies have shown that interactive whiteboards, through various dynamic resources, improve student motivation and make lessons more engaging and effective. Properly using the interactive board in the classroom can also help teachers test students' knowledge. Appropriate questions to clarify ideas develop discussion and allow young people to understand the material better.

The lecturer can encourage trainees to work in small groups by guiding the discussion. The interactive board becomes a focal point for the whole group. And if all the materials are prepared in advance and easily accessible, it ensures a good lesson pace. For example, a remarkable feature of Blackboard's Discussion Board is that it allows you to bring online discussions into the classroom. 

Many teachers often use this technical method in their lessons. In practice, it looks like this: make copies of a compelling message or exchange → ask students to write a response to a particular topic during class. Consider that many resources are available if you need help getting started with Blackboard.

Gallery Walk

The gallery walk learning activity is one effective way to motivate students to participate in class. During the walk, students go through various stations set up at predetermined intervals. Each station includes a large poster with a prompt or question and text or visuals such as political cartoons, artwork, or graphics. 

Every person or small group of students can then write a response to the prompt or focus on the material. After visiting each station, students analyze the answers and write a summary, which is then discussed with the entire group of learners.

Small Group Activity

Try to break all students into small groups, which can significantly increase their engagement and class participation. It is because more shy and modest students will feel more confident participating in the discussion if they are in a small group with classmates with whom they are friends. 

However, the teacher should ensure that each group clearly understands the task and that each group member knows their role. For example, depending on the assignment, the lecturer might ask students to write something independently, share it with the rest of the group, and then combine their ideas and present it to the whole class.

Writing at the End of the Lesson

Suppose you want your students to maintain good concentration while learning new material and improve their writing skills. In that case, you can give them an assignment at the end of each lesson that reflects on what they learned during the class. Of course, you only need to do this in writing. It is usually called an "exit slip." 

The teacher can suggest questions encouraging students to reflect on the material learned during class hours. Alternatively, you can invite young people to formulate their questions in response to the information presented. Not only will this help students process what they have learned, but it will also give you valuable information about what the students have learned best.

The Bottom Line

It would be best if you introduced the strategies described above into the learning process in a short time (from 2 weeks to a month). In that case, you will be able to increase the involvement and motivation of your students significantly. Moreover, it is advisable to continue and introduce new strategies so your trainees can prove themselves in new activities and stay interested during classes.