Learning is not a passive process. Students are not sponges for facts. Teachers cannot assume they will have each pupil’s full attention simply by standing in the front of the room and talking. Injecting exciting visuals and interactive elements within a lesson is a step in the right direction, but to be an effective teacher, you need to help your kids take ownership of their learning through student autonomy. Below, learn about four time-tested tips that will help you empower your students to take ownership of their learning and be significantly more engaged during instruction with Nearpod.
New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access the resources in this post and create their own interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.
What is what is student autonomy?
Student autonomy is the ability for learners to take control of their learning, allowing them to actively participate in the learning process and make meaningful decisions about how they engage with content. This approach involves promoting learner autonomy by creating a learning environment that supports student choice and encourages autonomous learning. By encouraging students to take ownership of their education, teachers can help them become more motivated to learn and better equipped with skills like problem-solving. Student engagement thrives when students feel empowered to take control, reflect on their learning, and make decisions about how they approach tasks. This shift not only increases student ownership in the classroom but also fosters a culture of curiosity, engagement, and independence in the classroom.
How to promote student ownership in the classroom
1. Provide meaningful choices
It’s unlikely that, given the option, most students would ever choose to learn trigonometry or take a test on animal classifications. All teachers have standards and skills they need to teach, but that doesn’t mean you can’t provide truly meaningful choices to your students along the way! Here are some ideas for student choice you can suggest during your units for student ownership strategies:
- Create open-ended assignments and projects. Offer suggestions of a fictional character students will write about, objects on which they can practice calculating volume, or insects they’ll make a diorama for – but ultimately allow them to decide what they want to concentrate on. They’ll develop the same skills regardless of their specific topic, and they’ll be more motivated by focusing on something they already care about.
- Solicit ideas for homework assignments and in-class activities. Students know what they like to do – so listen to them! There are plenty of ways to spice up vocabulary practice or a history presentation, and according to the American Psychological Association, “When students feel a sense of ownership, they want to engage in academic tasks and persist in learning.” Nearpod’s Collaborate Board makes it simple to collect and discuss ideas during class.
- Allow students to set their own pace with Student-Paced mode. Nearpod lessons allow teachers to easily keep all of their students’ devices in sync, but sometimes it’s even more effective to let kids determine their own individual pace. If they want to spend an extra couple of minutes exploring a map or a diagram of the human body, all the better!
2. Establish clear learning objectives
When students begin a new unit, it’s critical that they know what to expect. In some cases, it may even be possible to allow students to design their own individualized learning objectives. The better students know what is expected of them and can track their own growth in tangible skills throughout a unit, the more motivated they will be to achieve success. When lesson planning, ensure you establish clear learning objectives for students.
As an example, imagine a middle school unit on writing short poetry. All students will naturally build basic reading and writing skills, but there are targeted areas students can elect to focus on in their own poems: rhyme, figurative language, visual imagery, reading their work aloud, etc. Have students determine one or two specific skills they’d like to target and create a journal or visual tracking system they can own throughout the unit to keep track of their personal progress.
3. Give and leverage instant feedback
One of Nearpod’s coolest features is its integrated formative assessments. It’s remarkably easy to include quizzes, polls, and more formative assessment activities as quick knowledge checks directly within your lessons. Students appreciate being able to demonstrate new knowledge immediately, and they can quickly correct mistakes within their learning before those mistakes become internalized.
As a teacher, you can leverage the data collected from these assessments as well. Imagine introducing a class to long division, and just minutes later you have real-time data showing you which students have it mastered and which students will need further practice. Not only that, you can see precisely where students are struggling and adjust the rest of your lesson accordingly. By differentiating your approach with specific students using the data they just provided, you’ll ensure all students are building and practicing the right skills at the right time.
4. Connect new skills and ideas to the real world
There are some students who appreciate learning for the sake of learning, but for many, it’s all about “How will I use this later in life?”. Many adults likely remember asking that very question when first learning algebraic equations or the rise and fall of the Shang dynasty. It’s critical to draw connections between skills students are learning and how those skills are used in the real world.
Pay attention to what your students are excited about and shape your lessons accordingly. I still remember a set of sixth graders who refused to care about speed and motion graphs until a lesson that analyzed a LeBron James dunk from the 2015 NBA Finals. Each day for a week after that lesson, those kids came in eager to practice graphing on new plays and new sports.
Nearpod’s Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips make it easy to transport your students beyond your classroom walls. Show them first-hand what Mayan ruins look like, how whales travel together in pods undersea, or how the Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors those who served in the war. Students can explore these scenes at their own pace and focus on the details they like most.
Start helping students take ownership of their learning today
When students feel ownership over their learning, they simply care more. Whether you teach elementary, middle school, or high school students, engaging your students leads to a more collaborative and focused classroom, which will result in better mastery of your learning objectives. By fostering learner autonomy, you not only encourage learners to take responsibility for their progress but also create a classroom culture that celebrates teaching students to be independent, self-motivated thinkers. Fostering a sense of curiosity and motivation in your students will lead to empowered citizens ready to change the world!
New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access the resources in this post and create their own interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.
Nearpod’s award-winning platform is used by thousands of schools around the globe, transforming classroom engagement.
