Novel classrooms increase student engagement

Novel classrooms increase student engagement

Breaking from traditional teaching styles, East Carolina University students are participating in a new project-based learning classroom structure, actively engaging in meaningful projects and discussions that contribute to an increased interest in topics and transferable critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

In the fall, the PBL structure - which often includes small group discussions and teamwork that results in reports or presentations - was implemented in two sections of a 1000-level anthropology course in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences. Other early adopters of the approach include select biology and chemistry courses, as well as active learning courses in English and foreign languages and literatures.

"Students come to college to learn information, but they also come to college to learn how to engage with other people in meaningful ways," said Dr. Chad Morris, professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology. "One of the things that anthropology teaches is that not everybody has the same perspective. So, by training students to work together, we actually create a more enriching experience for our students."

Benefits of the PBL approach include increased student engagement and motivation, development of communication, collaboration and research skills, improved retention of course material, and the ability for students to assess progress and refine their work based on feedback.

The PBL-structured introduction to anthropology class came about from a course redesign led by Dr. Sarah Page, teaching associate professor of anthropology. She wanted to incorporate elements of leadership and a career focus into her course, which included three class projects.

One of the projects included a visit from a Joyner Library archivist who displayed materials that showcased the breadth of North Carolina's history from the colonial period to the present, with an emphasis on anthropology. Students had the opportunity to view and talk about a receipt for the sale of four enslaved persons, a colonial map of North Carolina, two different Cherokee language texts, religious texts and anthropological field notes.

"The idea was to help students connect with the importance of archives and history," Page said. "Also, the question that they were posed with was, 'How might they use archives in their future careers?'"

"No matter what kind of career students might have, archives are important to the kinds of work that they might do in the future. And they are not just places to preserve. They are also a living connection with everything that we might do in the future," she said.

Page's course, using the PBL approach, includes two lecture days and one discussion day where students sit around tables in small groups."It's not stadium seating, so I'm able to interact with my students," she said. "I'm able to look them in the eye. They're able to ask me questions directly, and that completely changes the interaction."

Laynie Baker, who took Page's anthropology course, said, "This type of class setup can be really beneficial by constantly giving students the chance to actively participate and further their own understanding."

She said the two days of lectures were more discussion-based, and Page always interacted with students. On Fridays, Baker said the class would participate in an activity based on what they had learned that week.

"These activities required us to converse with each other, putting a fun spin on understanding the material," she sadi. "Another huge benefit was that it encourages students to talk with each other and feel comfortable speaking in a classroom setting. This can be nerve-racking, especially for new students, and I think the setup of this class is a perfect way to begin building confidence in students."

Additionally, Page has a policy with her students that she does not make them wait to ask questions.

"I encourage them to interrupt me, and that usually encourages more robust participation as a result," she said.

Baker said, "I liked that the discussion-based setting opened an opportunity for students to feel comfortable asking questions. I don't think there was a single class period where someone didn't ask a question, and Dr. Page was always more than happy to answer."

Because Page's class was project-based, her students had the opportunity to improve scores. If they did not get the score they wanted on a project, they could work to improve it. She said this really helped students develop critical thinking skills.

Dr. Benjamin Saidel also employed the PBL teaching style in his anthropology course. He stated that it breaks the ice with the students and is more conducive to promoting engagement.

In his classes, Saidel built rapport with students by walking around small-group tables, eliciting questions and dialogue. Saidel utilized various types of media to teach the material and illustrate how cultures evolve.

"I used discussion and films to highlight subjects that are better conveyed to students visually," he said.

Saidel gave students a question to discuss amongst their peers at their tables and then share those thoughts with the entire class. He said he wanted students to learn how people structure arguments and what the logic is behind those arguments.

"You don't have this type of interaction in a lecture setting or in a setting with typical amphitheater seating," he said. "It's just impossible, in my opinion."

Through this teaching style, Saidel said he has seen a core group of students become more enthusiastic about the material and create bonds with fellow students.

"They want more information, and I think much of that is due to this setting," he said. "Personally, I think this is a much better way of teaching than walking into the traditional lecture hall. That gets boring not only for students, but for professors."

Sunquinn Broome, one of the students in Saidel's class, appreciated the break from typical lecture classes.

"What I enjoyed most about the discussions was that they allowed us to engage and interact with one another," he said. "The benefits include increased student engagement, which fosters better communication and may even lead to friendships outside the classroom. I can personally attest that I formed my main friend group from the table I sat at. Furthermore, the discussions stimulated our minds, enabling us to pay attention and retain more information."

After observing the benefits students gained in the classroom, the anthropology department plans to continue using problem-based learning and hopes to expand to more courses in the future.

"This has been an incredible opportunity. A lot of things had to come together to make this course possible," Page said. "It has been such a privilege to teach in this configuration, and I hope that I get to do this many more times in the future."

"Having a professor like Dr. Page, who is passionate about what they are teaching, makes a world of difference in the classroom. It makes the class more engaging and fun when the one teaching is excited to be there and help others learn about something they enjoy. This discussion-based class definitely opened up a lot of doors for Dr. Page to be able to share that passion with us and better our understanding through communication," Baker said.

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