STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

IN THE CLASSROOM
BY JAROD PANESSA, CARLEY RUTZEN, DANIEL CARTY, AND BEN METZGER
STAKEHOLDERS

• Students
- Education is used as a primary agent of socialization, so the nature of their education
effects the way they’re integrated into society.
• Parents
- Education is used as a daycare service, so the nature of their kids’ education effects their
engagement, discipline, and social skills.
• Teachers
- Education is measured through standardized testing, disincentivizing them from doing
groupwork in favor of isolated content memorization.
THE PROBLEM (DUN DUN DUNNNNNN )

• Lecture-based instruction enforces individual and rigid thinking

• This ill-prepares students for ‘real life’ and construes education as a boring, laborious
activity

• The ‘product’ is risk-averse, timid, and single-minded young people

REMEDY

• Emphasize Groupwork
- Refines skills like conflict management, communication, and politeness that are highly
valued in the job market
- Engages the students in the process of learning, teaching them the importance of taking
social risks and continuing their learning beyond the classroom
- Establishes the confidence to use peers as a resource and place confidence in others,
making collaboration a useful tool rather than a bothersome obstacle.
APPLYING THE GROUPWORK FORMULA

• The first and most important step is to change the physical layout of the room

- Rows of singular desks need to go

 Look at how sad this is 

APPLYING THE FORMULA PT. 2

• Tables!
- Two to three students per table is ideal
- This provides shoulder partners for brief discussion and allows for the quick formation
of groups of 4-6 students for in-depth groupwork.
Resource: http://classroom.4teachers.org/
 APPLYING THE FORMULA PT. 3

• Groups of mobile desks,

easily adjustable to
accommodate islands of
4-6 students
APPLYING THE FORMULA: AN ALTERNATIVE

• The Japanese education system has avoided the pitfalls of our own with very few
resources.
- Students have assigned jobs and roles to help the classroom function and to give them a
sense of belonging and solidarity
- Students stay in one classroom during the day while teachers rotate to-and-from each
room
- Teachers have a close relationship with the parents, talking weekly about good/bad
performance and behavioral issues
RISKS

• Less content absorption as a result of students goofing off

• Risks further alienation of shy or awkward students
• Greater risk of classroom conflict
• More difficult to manage the class
• Takes weeks to get used to, lose content absorption
BENEFITS

• Greater content absorption through personal relevance

• Structured vent for self-expression and sharing ideas
• Teaches the value of personal, unique opinions
• Creates team players
• Makes the learning modular, engaging, fun
• Learning extends past the classroom, lasts whole lives
CONCLUSION

• Just let ‘em tackle the content. Curate their education, don’t force it down their throats.
They’ll learn to take risks, work with their peers, and it won’t kill their love for learning.

Just DO IT