Students can use social media to collaborate on projects.
Studies suggest that students expect and believe they can achieve in challenging subjects.
Students Believe They Can Succeed
Yet, a college student has many responsibilities including work, family, sports, and social life. These responsibilities compete for the student’s time, energy, and effort.
Many students want to succeed by simply memorizing a set of facts just long enough to do well on the test. This is a surface approach to learning. How can instructors engage students and help students grasp the importance of learning the material and applying the concepts learned in new and different situations.
Deep-Learning Approach vs. Surface Learning
Instructors encourage a surface approach to learning when they focus on the facts instead of engaging students in the content. By engaging students, instructors can build on the knowledge that students already possess. Instructors who focus assessment on understanding and engagement encourage a deeper learning, and students are better able to apply the material in the real world.
But practically, how can instructors engage students in the course material? Many feel that the case approach to learning is the best way to develop deep learning.
The Case Approach
The case approach to learning allows the use of real-world examples that develop a deep-learning approach rather than a surface approach to learning.
But the case approach generally lends itself to group work. College students often have difficulty meeting with their groups and meeting deadlines.
While this has been one of the biggest challenges to the case approach, the new and powerful social media tools are helping to make communication and engagement easier and enjoyable for students.
Social Media Platforms Offer a New Way to Communicate
Students are able to contact their group members with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and other social media platforms. They can work on projects together and share information online without having to rearrange their class or work schedules.
How are you using social media in the classroom to engage students? Thank you for your comments.
Additional reading:
Achievement Goal Orientation of Community College Mathematics Students and the Misalignment of Instructors’ Perceptions (Velma Mesa)
Teaching Policy Theory and Its Application to Practice Using Long Structured Case Studies: An Approach that Deeply Engages Undergraduate Students (Christopher Walker)
