A recent conversation with a faculty member surfaced a concern that may be shared by other faculty right now: are students showing less engagement in their courses compared to engagement levels experienced in the past? Mamani-Benito et al. (2024) found in their study of 1300 Peruvian university students that emotional fatigue and reduced academic engagement were common among university students returning to in-person learning after the pandemic, highlighting the need for renewed strategies to support students.

There are many reasons why student engagement may be waning (or shifting) these days. Some reasons are beyond our control, so it can feel more useful to focus on what you can control in your classroom. This hub post offers practical, in-the-moment strategies to address changes you may notice in student engagement following the pandemic.

Supporting Students Who May Feel Self-Conscious

Some of your students may not engage actively because they feel anxious about being judged by others when they participate. Underlying causes can include social anxiety, self-consciousness about appearance or being looked at, introversion, or risk avoidance. As well, students may not be participating if expectations are unclear or if there is a perceived lack of benefit to engaging. Try these strategies to foster more engagement:

• Share your own experiences with anxiety and discomfort to model openness
• Tie participation to authentic tasks, and highlight how engagement builds skills
• Ask students to share what they need from the professor, other students, and themselves to be successful in the course
• Ask students to share “advice to themselves,” either from a past experience or mid-point through the semester
• Build confidence by starting with small, short engagement activities to more active ones over time – don’t assume students will be ready to chat right away
• Use anonymous, text-based response systems like: Active Learning on Mentimeter and Active Learning on Padlet
• Give students some choice in how they participate, and appreciate effort

Asking students to reflect on and share about their strengths, interests, and learning needs can help students overcome a lack of confidence due to fear of judgment.

Asynchronous Online

Without real-time interaction or experience learning online, students may feel isolated or struggle to sustain attention. Try these ideas for supporting engagement and persistence through the course:

• Use short, personal video check-ins (e.g., weekly 2-minute updates) to humanize the course and model enthusiasm
• Offer optional low-stakes polls using tools like Mentimeter to invite participation without pressure
• Embed interactive prompts in videos using tools like H5P to simulate real-time engagement
• Acknowledge effort explicitly in feedback or announcements (“I noticed how you connected ideas across modules — great work!”)
• Use eConestoga activity logs to follow up with a personalized nudge that is positively framed and explains the relevance of course activities

Hybrid Online

In hybrid formats, students may perceive online components as less important than in-person sessions, especially when students feel they’ve already “done the work” in class. Students may also struggle with expectations for engagement as they shift between modes. Try these ideas for hybrid engagement:

• Bridge the modes by referencing in-person discussions during online sessions (“Last week in class we discussed X, and here’s a related prompt for you to explore.”)
• Use real-world relevance to re-engage online learners (“This case study mirrors what’s happening in industry right now…”)
• Have students search online for ideas, examples, or websites to bring back to the class to share
• Invite students to share cultural or personal perspectives, and be curious about their responses (“I hadn’t considered that, can you say more?”)(Tereshko et al., 2024)

Synchronous Online

If you teach synchronously online, you may experience students hesitating to speak and keeping their cameras off. If attention spans drift, or live interaction feels lacking, try these in-the-moment strategies:

• Remind students before each class to get ready to learn online (water, quiet space, notes, etc.)
• Ask students to respond to a warm-up question (“What’s one thing you’re curious about today?”).
• Share your own uncertainty or learning moments (“I used to struggle with this concept too…”).
• During breakouts, give clear roles (e.g., note-taker, timekeeper), a purpose (“Find one example that connects to your field.”), and a place to document ideas
• Acknowledge silence without judgment (“I really want to hear from you, but it is okay to take a moment because thinking time is valuable”)
• Show students how you uploaded a profile picture to Microsoft 365

See more ideas in Active Learning in Breakout Rooms and When Students are Non-Responsive in Synchronous Online Classes.

In-Person

In-person classes offer rich opportunities for engagement, but students may seem distracted, fatigued, or hesitant to participate. Here are some in-the-moment strategies to encourage attention and focus:

• Check in with energy levels. You can say something like, “On a scale of 1 to 5, how’s your focus today?” and adjust pace accordingly
• Invite students to stand, vote with their feet, or use sticky notes to share ideas
• Offer multiple ways to participate, such as drawing a concept map instead of speaking
• Validate (or even encourage) silent processing, active listening, and quiet contributions, especially when there is a lot of side chat
• Preview what’s coming next in a lesson to reduce participation anxiety

Shifting What We Say and Expect about Engagement

Many students are aware of the cognitive toll of constant digital stimulation: some even express nostalgia for a time before TikTok and Smartphones. Faculty may be able to partially mitigate these pressures for speed and stimulation by framing learning in their classroom as a form learning and growth that will pay off over time.

Finally, it’s good to remember that engagement isn’t just about energy: it’s about connection, relevance, and psychological safety. Remaining compassionate and being flexible in the face of varying levels of your students’ engagement can support them (and you) as times continue to change (Tereshko et al., 2024).

What strategies have helped you re-engage students in your course? Share your ideas with colleagues in the new “Student Engagement” channel of the MS Teams site, Teaching at Conestoga.

References

Mamani-Benito, O., Esteban, R. F. C., Huayta-Meza, M. V., Castillo-Blanco, R., Chaparro, J. E. T., & Morales Garcia, W. C. (2024). Emotional fatigue, academic engagement, and satisfaction with studies during the return to post-pandemic university attendance. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1297302. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1297302

Tereshko, L. M., Weiss, M. J., Cross, S., & Neang, L. (2024). Culturally diverse student engagement in online higher education: A review. Journal of Behavioral Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-024-09554-8

AI Disclosure

My use of AI for this post included asking for initial ideas and practical (‘in-the-moment’ strategies, and I reviewed and revised the suggestions to suit my tone, audience, and goals. After drafting the post I requested a final review to compare my version with the original AI-generated outline of ideas and receive feedback, which I applied selectively and manually.