Promoting Academic Communities and Engagement

Promoting Academic Communities and Engagement

Students and instructor sit in a circle on the lawn.

Elevating course rigor and energy with practical tools and norms

Expectations that instructors set for courses translate directly into student engagement and learning. Here are six strategies to reset norms, add energy to the classroom, and increase student ownership of the material.

Set the conditions for engagement

Motivate student ownership and accountability

Lianne Kurina and Shari Palmer on the lawn outside of Sweet Hall.

Welcome to PACE!

Our goal is to support instructors in the development of high energy and high expectation classrooms. We recommend that instructors read through each of the six strategies and adopt as many as will work in their classrooms. Each will contribute in a distinct way to helping you build robust intellectual communities in your classroom. Look for further resources as the academic year progresses—including teaching cohorts, an interview series, and support for building active learning communities.

—Lianne Kurina & Shari Palmer, PACE Co-Leads