Category: Student Engagement & Communication

Promote interactions with and between students to make learning more meaningful and memorable.

Engage All Students with the Questions You Ask

Reading Time: 6 minutesAs teachers, we all have one thing in common: we like to ask our students questions. The questions might ask to recall some important information related to your lesson.  Or perhaps you ask deeper questions where they are asked to analyze a situation, an idea, or to strategize an outcome.  But simply asking a question does not guarantee that your...

Exploring the Complex Ideas of Teachers and Teaching in South Asian Academic Culture  

Reading Time: 4 minutesBy Dr. Nasreen Sultana, Consultant, Teaching and Learning South Asia has a collectivist society, which is a fascinating tapestry of interconnectedness where individual threads weave together to form a cohesive whole. The concepts of education and life are layered and complex. For example, faculty members in a Canadian classroom are always mesmerized by how polite and respectful South Asian students...

Effective Whiteboard Use

Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhen teaching in-person, the whiteboard can be an effective teaching tool in the classroom.  It helps students visualize content and recall important terms, concepts, and ideas.  Effective whiteboard use can help make the lesson more accessible for all students.   The way you decide to use the whiteboard in your class is selective. In the video below, we offer basic advice...

Promote Student Self-Monitoring in an Asynchronous Course

Reading Time: 3 minutesIt’s the start of the semester, and you are focused on your asynchronous teaching. You have welcomed students with an announcement and created a welcome video. Now, as you anticipate their engagement, think beyond the initial introduction and consider how you can sustain their motivation and guide them toward successful course completion. Explore ways to promote student self-monitoring and cultivate...

Strategies and Scripts to Address Common Classroom Management Challenges

Reading Time: < 1 minuteAt one point or another in your teaching career, you’re likely to encounter classroom management challenges. Some of the most common include: Our team has created this video role-play for you, where you can see (fictional) faculty member Wanda Tyler-Burns, consulting with Teaching and Learning Consultant Dr. Lauren Spring about some of these common challenges. We hope you find the...

Teaching & Supporting Nigerian International Students

Reading Time: 3 minutesBy Dr. Monsurat Raji and Dr. Nasreen Sultana (Teaching and Learning Consultants) Beginning post-secondary studies in Canada for most international students is like playing a new game whereby students are expected to figure out the new rules and apply them properly in practice. It is more challenging for international students to win or play the game as they have to...

The Neurodiverse Classroom and Collaborative Work

Reading Time: 3 minutesWhat? The main purpose of this teaching tip is to assist educators in supporting neurodiverse groups in collaborating. So What? This is important because 1 in 10 students at Conestoga has a documented disability, which will impact how educators provide learning opportunities. Now What? This teaching tip will provide educators with concrete ways to support groups that involve neurotypical learners...

When Students are Non-Responsive in Synchronous Online Classes

Reading Time: 7 minutesIt can feel confusing or frustrating if a student attends your synchronous online class but does not join a breakout room or reply to you during class. You cannot determine if they are having tech trouble, have walked away from their device, or are simply listening quietly. It is unlikely that students who are non-responsive or inactive during synchronous online...