Have you considered how your teaching methods and forms could enable students to ask questions?

Research shows that students struggle with academic engagement and performance such as breaking the communication barrier in lectures, tests, work groups and coping with the lack of transversal skills such as note taking, teamwork and problem-solving. Students also struggle with university culture, especially with the educational format. They find it difficult to get used to different modes of assessment, feedback and marking schemes.

 Flipped Learning Activities

The flipped classroom method is an instructional approach where students engage with lecture content at home and participate in active learning during class time (Holm et al., 2022; Knutas et al., 2016). This student-centered approach aims to increase interaction and to support self-paced learning (Ozdamli & Asiksoy, 2016).

To achieve this you can try the following strategies (see Quick Win 1):

• Pre-Class Activities:
  • Content Delivery: Students watch videos, read articles, or review other materials at home before class. This phase involves acquiring basic knowledge about the subject matter.
  • Self-Paced Learning: Students can learn at their own pace, pausing and rewatching the videos as needed, which enables students with different needs to be accommodated.
• In-Class Activities:
  • Interactive Learning: Class time is dedicated to interactive activities such as discussions, problem-solving, group work, and hands-on projects.
  • Teacher Facilitation: The teacher acts as a facilitator or guide, helping students apply what they have learned and addressing any misconceptions.

Holm et al. (2022) have shown that students generally prefer the flipped classroom method over traditional lectures.

Collaborative Learning Activities

Collaborative learning is an active educational approach where two or more students work together towards common goals, developing skills like communication, problem-solving, and understanding different perspectives. Collaborative learning is particularly valuable in online education, where it can reduce feelings of isolation and prepare students for teamwork in professional settings (Lu & Smiles, 2022).

To achieve this you can try the following strategies:

• Online Discussion Forums
  Activity: Create a discussion forum where students can post responses to a prompt, share resources, and comment on each other’s posts.
  ICT Tool: Use using your university’s Learning Management System (LMS) platforms such as Moodle, Canvas, Brightspace, Google Classroom, for example to create the discussion forums.
  Objective: Develop critical thinking and engage in meaningful discussions about a topic.
• Collaborative Concept Mapping
  Activity: Students use online tools to collaboratively create concept maps that visually represent the relationships between different concepts in a subject area.
  ICT Tool: Use ICT tools like MindMeister, Coggle, Miro, Mural, etc.
  Objective: Foster understanding of complex topics through visual representation and group input.
• Peer Review and Feedback
  Activity: Students exchange their work digitally and provide constructive feedback to one another by using the comment and suggestion features.
  ICT Tool: Use ICT tools like Google Docs, Turnitin, Peergrade, Feedbackfruits Peer Review tool, for example.
  Objective: Develop critical thinking and editing skills while learning to give and receive feedback.
• Online Peer Tutoring
  Activity: Pair students with peers who need assistance in specific areas, facilitating tutoring sessions through chat or video conferencing tools.
  ICT Tool: Use ICT tools like Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, for example.
  Objective: Encourage peer teaching and reinforce the tutor’s understanding of the subject.

These activities leverage on ICT tools can encourage active participation, critical thinking, and the development of digital literacy skills.

Formative Assessment Activities

Formative assessment is a continuous evaluation process that occurs during learning, providing feedback to teachers and students to improve instruction and performance (Boston, 2002). It enables teachers to make evidence-based instructional decisions, identify struggling students early, and provide timely interventions (Wilson, 2017). Formative assessment can involve various classroom techniques, such as surveys and observations, that do not necessarily involve grading (Cevallos Menéndez et al., 2019).

To achieve this you can try some of the following strategies and methods:

Using ICT Tools

• Google Forms:
  Description: Create surveys, quizzes, and questionnaires to assess student understanding.
  Features: Automatic grading, real-time responses, and integration with Google Classroom.
  Use Case: Conduct quick assessments after a lesson to gauge comprehension and adjust teaching strategies accordingly.

• Quizizz:
  Description: An interactive quiz tool that allows students to answer questions at their own pace.
  Features: Gamified quizzes, instant feedback, and detailed reports.
  Use Case: Assign quizzes as homework or in-class activities to assess individual understanding and track progress over time.

• Padlet:
  Description: A virtual bulletin board where students can post notes, images, links, and videos.
  Features: Real-time collaboration, multimedia support, and customisable boards.
  Use Case: Use Padlet for brainstorming sessions, exit tickets, and collaborative projects to gather formative feedback.

• Plickers:
  Description: A low-tech tool where students use paper cards to answer questions, and the teacher scans the responses with a mobile device.
  Features: Real-time data collection and instant feedback.
  Use Case: Use Plickers for quick formative assessments without requiring student devices, ideal for gauging class-wide understanding (See Quick Win 2).

Without Using ICT Tools

• Exit Tickets: At the end of a lesson, students write one thing they learned and one question they still have on a piece of paper.
• Think-Pair-Share: Students discuss their answers to a question with a partner before sharing with the class, allowing the teacher to gauge understanding.
• One-Minute Paper: Students spend one minute writing a quick summary of the day’s lesson, helping the teacher assess their grasp of key concepts.

These types of tools help teachers gather timely information about student learning, enabling them to make informed decisions about instructional adjustments and support. The importance of formative assessment lies in its ability to enhance student learning, improve school performance, and raise the quality of education (Menéndez et al., 2019). Overall, formative assessment is a cost-effective approach to improving student learning and performance (Wilson, 2017).