Tina M. Tinney
Chancellor
Nunez Community College
With the changing landscape of how people engage, it is critical that educators meet students, both current and prospective, where they are. As people continue to multitask and are pulled by multiple demands and decreasing attention spans, post-secondary education is required to be nimble and agile in delivering messaging, information and instruction in easily accessible and digestible formats. Investing in technologies that condense course content, deliver across multiple platforms, and allow students to engage/disengage in meaningful ways is evidenced by the integration of learning management platforms, texting software, virtual access and new college apps so our students can remain interested and involved.
Cherié Kay LaRocca
Vice Chancellor for Education, Training, and Student Success
Nunez Community College
Innovative instructional delivery is one method educators can use to keep students engaged. Different course modality allows students to select their best learning environment for their individual learning needs. For example, some students thrive learning face to face while physically present in a classroom; other students enjoy the flexibility of an online learning environment. Educators can also change the delivery of instruction to keep students focused and learning. At Nunez Community College, we offer students hands-on training opportunities, as well as training through virtual reality. Both methods provide students with an engaging learning environment that will expand their skills sets.
Attention spans of children and adults have been challenged by fast-paced, short messaging on social media and smart phones. In response, educators must capture students’ attention or else true learning is limited. Recognizing students’ interests and needs is one step toward increasing student engagement. Educators must also diversify classroom activities to spark interest and keep students intellectually active. Questioning and discussion techniques are important for immersing students in the learning process. Teaching is an art and a science, and developing expertise in doing it right is incredibly important!
Lisa M. Sullivan, PhD, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Professor and Chair of Education, University of Holy Cross
Sam Kane
Creative Writing and English Teacher
Frederick Douglass High School
Effective teachers are able to capture student engagement by recognizing and adapting their lessons to a very simple fact: Attention spans are shorter than they have ever been. Teachers are breaking their lessons into easily digestible pieces, with small tasks and checks for understanding every four to six minutes. Essentially, students are continuously stimulated by different tasks throughout the lesson, which caters to shortened attention spans and increases the probability of prolonged engagement. Learning is not a linear process, but more of a winding trail to reach the summit of a particular goal.
Dr. Larissa Littleton Steib
Chancellor
Delgado Community College
Students remember moments. So, one strategy is to “keep it short.” Break up topics into small concepts, have students work with those concepts, then bring them all together at the end. Students get involved by working on case studies or in group projects, by searching for online content using their cell phones, or by watching videos or movie snippets that might relate to the concept or topic. Short videos, two to four minutes long, are ideal because students can get to pertinent information without having to fast forward or rewind to find it. Also, reviewing content can be more fun and interactive when it is presented on gaming apps like Kahoot!
Keith Perelli
Visual Art, Drawing and Painting Instructor
NOCCA
One of the positive outcomes of working online during the height of the pandemic was sharing our more traditional artforms through digital means. It was a catalyst for expression using other technology, including digital drawings and animations. This cross-disciplinary approach forced us as educators to be inventive with the concepts of projects that centered around visual communication in a digital world.
