Instructors who are invested in the success of their students support both student learning and student wellbeing. Fostering a relationship with students, as described previously, promotes student learning because students feel more comfortable approaching someone they know for help. While a personal relationship is beneficial, students and instructors both indicated that even without this personal connection, there are other ways instructors can support student learning. For example, connecting students to learning resources, suggesting that students form study groups, and sharing effective study strategies are all effective ways instructors can connect students to their peers or to campus resources.
Connecting students to learning resources seems to be particularly helpful for students who are struggling with the pace of the course, either in their first year as they adjust to university or as a student taking a course outside their major. Due to the large volume of resources on campus, students may not be aware of supports that could help them in a particular course. As an Arts student indicated during student focus groups, “it’s kind of nice when the prof is like oh don’t forget this – maybe you guys can go if you need help with writing or any such things, it’s helpful”.
Participants indicated that it is important for instructors to be available to answer questions. Inviting questions during lecture makes it easier for students to put their hand up in a large lecture hall. Instructors who check in with each group during an in-class activity provide students the opportunity to ask questions without having to speak up in front of the entire class. Instructors who are accessible outside of class are seen as being more supportive of student learning. Participants identified a number of ways the instructor can increase his or her accessibility: asking the class to vote on when office hours should be held, scheduling office hours by appointment, offering additional office hours prior to exams, holding office hours online, sticking around for a few minutes after class, and being responsive to email. Encouraging students to visit during office hours reduces the intimidation factor and makes it more likely that students will seek help.
Here are a few more tips on how you can support learning outside the classroom:
- Connecting students to resources
- Being accessible outside of class
- Inviting students to attend office hours
- Suggesting effective study methods for the course
- Soliciting feedback from their students
- Sharing the class notes online
- Providing thorough notes
- Offering review sessions
- Incorporating how-to’s into the course
Do you have other strategies you use to help students with their learning outside the classroom? When you were a student, did you attend office hours? Did you find office hours helpful? We would love to hear your story! Let’s start a dialogue on how to support our students outside of the classroom, as well as within.