In a culture of learning, it is vital for students to realize that they are engaged in important work.  To accomplish this a deliberate, purposeful environment should be created; one that simultaneously encourages students to be engaged in learning while exploring avenues that are of interest to them. According to Charlotte Danielson (2009), “The core of student engagement, activities and assignments that promote learning, are those that require student thinking, emphasize depth over breadth, and may enable students to exercise some choice” (p. 307).

This course explores several ways of facilitating student engagement: encouraging students to assist in designing projects, facilitating ways for students to develop individual learning contracts, supporting students as they develop proposals for alternative projects, and letting students design, experience, and evaluate service learning experiences. This course outlines activities and assignments designed to enhance student exploration, cognitive engagement, and “minds-on” learning.

Course Outcomes

In this course, you will:

• Discover approaches to activities and assignments that offer students appropriate cognitive challenges and promote deep mental engagement.

• Explore the benefits of inviting students to design their own purposeful approaches and pathways that engage them in rigorous, relevant learning.

• Offer purposeful assignments/activities that challenge students to think broadly and deeply.
  

• Evaluate professional practices and determine appropriate adjustments.