From the Learner’s Seat: Students Reflect on Faculty’s Questions About Teaching
Introduction
SATAL PODCAST episodes draw from questions raised by instructors during our recent SATAL: "Closing the Assessment Cycle in Community" event, where instructors and student partners came together to reflect on teaching and learning findings. We begin the dialogue with a shared understanding: instructors give much thought into their teaching and genuinely care about their students’ success. At the same time, they often seek more effective ways to integrate the evolving student perspective, recognizing that each cohort brings different needs, strengths, and challenges each semester.
1. "How Do I Get Students to Talk?"
In response to the question, “How do I get students to talk?”, student partners Bre and Silas highlighted the importance of building a strong classroom community and fostering a culture of care from the very beginning of the semester.
Bre emphasized that starting with low-stakes, small-group activities helped students get to know one another, which made participation feel less intimidating. She shared how her electrical engineering class created an inclusive environment through intentional group seating and early collaborative tasks. Her instructor’s active presence and clear communication about the purpose of group work helped normalize interaction and gradually led to more open class discussions.
Silas added that students are more likely to participate when instructors create an environment where they feel valued, heard, and safe to take risks. He noted the impact of small gestures—like learning student names, offering varied participation formats (e.g., TopHat, Mentimeter, online discussions), and taking time during lectures to connect and respond to questions. Sharing stories about learning from mistakes also normalizes vulnerability and reinforces that participation is part of the learning process.
Together, their reflections suggest that when instructors intentionally nurture a sense of belonging and normalize participation as a shared, evolving process, students are more likely to engage in meaningful ways.
Resources:
- Harvard Kennedy School. (2015). Using Small Groups to Engage Students and Deepen Learning in New HKS Classrooms. Www.hks.harvard.edu [here]
- Stanford University. (2023). Increasing student engagement. Teachingcommons.stanford.edu; Stanford University [here]
- UCLA CEILS Designing group activities [here]
2. How to encourage students to learn and limit the use AI?
Students agreed that fostering genuine learning and reducing AI misuse requires clear guidance, supportive resources, and a shift in classroom culture. They highlighted that students often turn to AI when under pressure to be perfect, facing heavy workloads, or lacking foundational skills. Effective strategies include providing accessible, well-structured learning materials; breaking down assignments to build skills gradually; creating safe spaces for questions; and explicitly teaching responsible AI use. Framing AI within academic integrity policies, while also promoting growth over perfection, helps students see it as a learning aid rather than a shortcut.
3. How can we encourage more students to attend office hours?
Student partners Elena, Andre, and Christian share experiences highlighting both barriers and solutions. Elena recalls feeling unwelcome due to a dismissive comment in a coding course, underscoring the need for inclusive, non-judgmental spaces. Andre emphasizes networking opportunities and the value of mandatory or structured meetings, while cautioning against limiting engagement. Christian notes that productivity, timing, and interactivity are key; students return when office hours are supportive and beneficial, creating word-of-mouth momentum that builds a culture of participation.
Resources:
4. How to encourage students to ask questions?
Resources:
Harvard University: Teaching students to ask their own questions: Best practices in the question formulation technique [link] The OFT in one slide [link]
- How to ask students if they understand the concepts?
- How to interact with students on Zoom and make sure they understand the concepts?
- What do students think about group work?
- How do instructors know they are going at a good pace for students?
- How to make group work fair?
