I don’t know how to provide/give opportunities for motivated students
Have you considered students may understand their classmates better than the teacher?
QUICK WINS
→ QW 1. Spark discussions in class with motivated students to facilitate and encourage others to participate.
→ QW 2. Work in Small Groups. When possible, create working groups and try to distribute and encourage motivated students to help their classmates in the group.
→ QW 3. Offer resources where motivated students may share material, notes, help in forums, etc. You may use Learning Management Systems like Moodle, Coursera, Blackboard or others.
Even unintentionally, there may be barriers between teachers and students, especially at the beginning of a module. Students may find help in their classmates and can create peer support groups. In those groups, motivated students may play an important role by helping their peers. A good integration with the academical community is an indicative of progress and success.
Promote Participation in Class
Many students find it difficult to participate in class, especially at the beginning of a discussion. Motivated students can encourage a more engaging learning environment for everyone by actively participating in such discussions. Their enthusiasm can be contagious. See Quick Win 1
Encourage Peer Tutoring
Motivated students can explain concepts and answer questions in a more friendly and closer environment. This may reinforce their knowledge of the subject and being helpful for them to develop explanation skills. See Quick Win 2
Foster a Collaborative Environment
Students may miss lectures or may feel lost sometimes when taking notes. Motivated students may share clear and well-organised material with classmates. Preparing material for sharing would be of help not only for their peers but for them as it clarifies self understanding and reinforces collaboration and communication skills. See Quick Win 3
Further Information
- Some studies report that the final grade of a student can be improved with a small but regular dedication to peer tutoring.
→ Munley, V.G., Garvey, E. and McConnell, M.J. (2010). The effectiveness of peer tutoring on student achievement at the University level, American Economic Review: Papers & Proceedings, 100, 277-282. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27805004
Have you considered that there may be students that can go further?
QUICK WINS
→ QW 1. Pose challenges to students like thinking about a particular question or solving a more complex problem. Try to recognize their achievements as it may also boost their motivation.
→ QW 2. Propose that students can prepare new material like an experiment, demonstration, problem, activity, etc. They can come up with new ideas and may test and provide feedback beforehand.
→ QW 3. Offer a letter of recommendation for future opportunities like research programs or internships. Here are some ideas.
Knowledge is always evolving. Motivated students must engage with research and keep looking continuously for more information. It is important to offer them contents that represents an intellectual challenge. Some additional activities may deepen their knowledge.
In-depth Exploration
Motivated students can go into more complex topics related to the subject. Those complex topics can be challenges for them and can make learning more engaging. Challenges promote active learning that leads to deeper understanding.
It is important to balance difficulty. They should not so easy as to bore them and not too hard as to become frustrating. See Quick Win 1
Prepare New Material
By collaborating with motivated students, teachers can create more engaging and effective learning experiences for the entire class. Motivated students can detect sections that are too difficult, lack of explanations and can provide feedback beforehand. They can also come up with new ideas. See Quick Win 2
Facilitate Future Connections
For students who demonstrate strong skills and motivation, you may facilitate future connections with professors or researchers in the field. One way to facilitate that connections is to provide them a letter of recommendation.
A letter of recommendation adds credibility and weight to a student’s future application. It may outline strengths and achievements relevant to the desired position making them a more compelling candidate. See Quick Win 3
Further Information
Teachers are encouraged to promote personalisation and individualisation of the teaching-learning process when possible. That includes offering students alternatives to the general content. In Spanish, you can consult:
→ M. Gómez-Puerta, R. Rodríguez & E. Chiner (2023). Guía de recomendaciones para la atención del alumnado universitario con altas capacidades intelectuales, Universidad de Alicante, Edit. Limencop. ISBN: 978-84-09-52716-8. Available here: https://rua.ua.es/dspace/handle/10045/135040
