Academic Success in the Classroom

There are many ways to support academic success in the classroom. Here we’ve identified a few evidence-based best practices that can be easily implemented into your classroom.

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Onboarding to Your Classroom

This is especially important for freshman and transfer students! Help students understand how to be successful in your course by outlining classroom expectations, requirements, and any tools or platforms you might be using. When we don’t take the time to explain, students might feel embarrassed to ask. It’s easy to assume that all students know how to read a syllabus or that a generation growing up with smart phones can figure out your preferred technology, but taking time to explain in detail at the start of the semester can set all students up for success.

Formative Assessments

Formative assessments are generally low-stakes (no or minimal points) and can be implemented during our outside of class times to monitor students learning. This is helpful for students to see how you might assess them when the stakes are higher (exam time!) and it gives both of you a better idea of how they’re doing with the material. These should be implemented early and often throughout your course.

More than a century of research on retrieval-based learning recommends the use of assessment as a study tool. Incorporating formative assessments into your course can help students learn and demonstrate successful study strategies to incorporate outside of class. While short answer questions are the most effective, make sure to incorporate the assessment type you use for summative assessments. For example, if you use multiple choice exams, open ended questions can really help students integrate and apply understanding, but make sure to also give them multiple choice practice questions so they can practice how they will be assessed for the exam.

Small Group Work or Paired Activities

Consider implementing small group work or paired activities either during class time or as homework or project requirements. When we require students to work together, they are more likely to make friends in the course, form study groups, and engage in course content outside of class. Promoting social integration in our classrooms promotes overall wellbeing and student success.

Active Learning

Active learning engages students in their own learning and challenges their thinking by encouraging more complex thought processes. Research has shown it improves student learning while reinforcing knowledge, skills, and concepts. Active learning is valuable not only because it can contribute significantly to improved skills development and better command of the material. Used as small group work or paired activities it builds connections between peers.

Interested in learning how to use your classrooms physical space to promote learning and student success? Steelcase shares great resources on using physical space in different ways to promote active learning.

Career or Professional Implications of Coursework

Students want to become strong candidates for careers in their chosen fields. Help them prepare for their next step by connecting your course and content to their future professions. If you teach a non-majors specific course, share with students how they are getting professional competencies from your course that are desired by employers. Many employers seek candidates that can problem solve and work in a team-based setting. Share how their final group project helps them develop these marketable skills.

For recent graduates, an academic portfolio allows them to showcase their education and work accomplishments and connect with other professionals. Consider using Portfolium in your courses or programs to help students better prepare for their next step.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning moves from the teacher-centered, knowledge transfer approach to active learning where knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Volunteering, service-learning, internship, and laboratory work are all forms of experiential learning. Correlated with improved learning outcomes, self-efficacy, graduation rates, employment outcomes, and career skills, experiential learning is an important component of academic success. Instead of waiting for students to see these benefits in lab courses or internship requirements, find creative ways to incorporate real-life experiences into your classroom, maybe by working with actual clients or community members. For the very ambitious consider working towards a service-learning designation for your course.

Relevant Technologies

The TLC houses innovative technologies to increase student engagement and productivity. With an abundance of other tech tools available be mindful of the cost to student and incorporating too many platforms. It takes time to become proficient in learning new tools and it can be a lot to ask students to learn multiple platforms in multiple courses every semester. Consider using those already supported by WVU and easily navigated by new users. Need a recommendation? Start here.

• iClicker – an audience response to increase engagement and measure performance
• Mediasite – a desktop-recorder that makes it easy to create great looking videos, screencasts and slideshows that can be shared to your eCampus course shell
• Harmonize – creates an interactive space for dynamic academic discussion, creative and alytical thinking, and in-depth feedback

See this full list of instructional tools that can integrate with eCampus to provide added functionality.

Belonging, Purpose, and Engagement

Promoting a sense of belonging in your classroom is particularly important for under-represented minorities including BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) and first-generation college students. Students who succeed feel that their classes are relevant and engaging and that their professors genuinely care about their learning and success. Considerate language and behavior create an inclusive environment that shows you care and sets an example for all students in the course.

Interested in learning more about facilitating student success in your classroom? Go2Knowledge is a professional development solution available to all WVU instructors. With 150+ live webinars a year a robust library of re-recorded webinars, Go2Knowledge provides relevant and engaging content for everyone. Webinars include topics on Student Success and Teaching & Learning, including Active Learning for Large Classrooms, Creating Inclusive Classroom Environments, and Strategies to Foster Engagement & Participation.