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L. Liu and L. Gao
useful to take some time and encourage them to ask questions or to let them present
their observations. The teacher can then respond to their questions and add more
insights during the class. Another benefit from student participation in class is that it
provides an opportunity for students to get to know each other and to start communication. Therefore, instead of the teacher having to face all students, students can
be linked to each other during classes as well.
First-hand observation and experience from teachers contribute to the engagement
in classes, even with regard to less familiar issues. In one class, as an example, the
teacher gave a presentation of 30 min on Antarctic exploration and China’s polar
investigation program. The teacher integrated instruction with observations and some
of the stories gained during a site visit to a polar investigation training center and
interviews with the expedition team. In this case, most students listened attentively.
The 2017 survey also shows that for activities outside the class, second-year
students have a stronger desire to attend compared with first-year students.
4 This
could be due to the fact that with more knowledge accumulated, second-year students
are more willing to be involved in extracurricular practices and research projects.
This presents some insightful ideas for future curriculum development and content
improvement. In short, to have an engaged class, instead of compliant class, the
teacher needs to carefully plan and manage classes and make adjustments to the
pedagogy to meet the needs of the students. Besides, pedagogical research also
assists teachers to understand their students better, including their attitudes, habits,
perceptions, prior knowledge, plans and so on, which creates a positive learning
environment for increased engagement.
5.2 Valuing Students’ Feedback and Making Stepwise
Change
The course “Sustainable development and the global challenge” is listed as an
optional course in the 2017–2018 CUFE curriculum catalog among one of the hundreds of general education courses that are open to undergraduates. Since the course
has been taught for two years, and surveys about student’s perceptions of the course
have been conducted, the teacher can use this input to make improvements in course
design and class communication. Although the analysis of questionnaires and the
evaluation were taken after completion of the course in respectively 2016 and 2017,
the similarity in class composition of these two years imply that the performance and
suggestions from the 2016 class can provide a useful frame of reference for the 2017
class. A virtuous teaching and learning cycle forms when incorporating students’
feedback into teaching practice.
The final assignment for the class can be taken as an example: all students received
the task of describing some green campus activities which they had attended or
planned to attend. Another task was to design a group research project, assuming
4 There are only four valid samples from the third-year undergraduate group.
L. Liu and L. Gao
useful to take some time and encourage them to ask questions or to let them present
their observations. The teacher can then respond to their questions and add more
insights during the class. Another benefit from student participation in class is that it
provides an opportunity for students to get to know each other and to start communication. Therefore, instead of the teacher having to face all students, students can
be linked to each other during classes as well.
First-hand observation and experience from teachers contribute to the engagement
in classes, even with regard to less familiar issues. In one class, as an example, the
teacher gave a presentation of 30 min on Antarctic exploration and China’s polar
investigation program. The teacher integrated instruction with observations and some
of the stories gained during a site visit to a polar investigation training center and
interviews with the expedition team. In this case, most students listened attentively.
The 2017 survey also shows that for activities outside the class, second-year
students have a stronger desire to attend compared with first-year students.
4 This
could be due to the fact that with more knowledge accumulated, second-year students
are more willing to be involved in extracurricular practices and research projects.
This presents some insightful ideas for future curriculum development and content
improvement. In short, to have an engaged class, instead of compliant class, the
teacher needs to carefully plan and manage classes and make adjustments to the
pedagogy to meet the needs of the students. Besides, pedagogical research also
assists teachers to understand their students better, including their attitudes, habits,
perceptions, prior knowledge, plans and so on, which creates a positive learning
environment for increased engagement.
5.2 Valuing Students’ Feedback and Making Stepwise
Change
The course “Sustainable development and the global challenge” is listed as an
optional course in the 2017–2018 CUFE curriculum catalog among one of the hundreds of general education courses that are open to undergraduates. Since the course
has been taught for two years, and surveys about student’s perceptions of the course
have been conducted, the teacher can use this input to make improvements in course
design and class communication. Although the analysis of questionnaires and the
evaluation were taken after completion of the course in respectively 2016 and 2017,
the similarity in class composition of these two years imply that the performance and
suggestions from the 2016 class can provide a useful frame of reference for the 2017
class. A virtuous teaching and learning cycle forms when incorporating students’
feedback into teaching practice.
The final assignment for the class can be taken as an example: all students received
the task of describing some green campus activities which they had attended or
planned to attend. Another task was to design a group research project, assuming
4 There are only four valid samples from the third-year undergraduate group.