engagement

How do you maximize student engagement? There are a multitude of ways to promote interaction and encourage participation in a college course.  Whether you incorporate videos into class time, set up forums for online discussion, or follow the flipped classroom method, the goal is to increase student engagement and success. If you are a current MindTap user, we are pleased to offer you the opportunity to share your bright ideas and successful methods with other educators.  Enter our contest to tell us how you use MindTap to turn the light on engagement. The requirements are simple:

Craft a 150-word (maximum)

Community colleges open the door to higher education and skills training for millions of people across the U.S. As government leaders focus on global and state competitiveness, they’re rightly looking for innovative ways to increase access to a community college education. Still, broader access is only one component to improving higher educational opportunity—and the upward mobility that comes with it. With roughly half of students who enroll in community college dropping out before completion, it’s clear we must also focus on new ways to address student retention, engagement and graduation if students are to realize their full potential. One way Read More…

We know that the phone is an essential part of students’ day, and they need study tools to keep up with their busy lifestyles. Now, with MindTap, they can prepare for their courses anytime, anywhere… right from their smartphones.

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The MindTap Mobile app on iTunes

MindTap Mobile app on Google Play

(Note: You must be enrolled in a course that is using Cengage Learning’s MindTap and have accessed MindTap on your computer before you can use the app.)

Guest Contributor: Audrey A. Wick, Blinn College (Texas). When my freshman students need to take a break from writing, I suggest that they exercise. When my fitness students need a break from exercising, I tell them to try writing. I may be one of the only cross-over writing/fitness instructors in the nation: at my college, I teach both College Composition (for our Humanities department) and Pilates (for our Kinesiology department). And what my experience in both has uncovered is that there are some light cross-over tips from fitness that can absolutely benefit reluctant, unmotivated writers. So take a deep breath Read More…

Knowledge, skills, and talent can get you far in life… but more often than not, confidence is the essential element that helps you achieve your goals and enjoy your successes. This is as true for college students as it is for any one of us, at any point in our lives. In our recent Student Engagement Insights survey, we asked students what makes them feel confident that they’ll succeed in college. Over 3,500 responded. Here’s what they had to say about the various factors that build college students’ confidence: Feedback from their instructors. “Encouragement” and “thorough feedback” from you, the instructor, provide can prove Read More…

Last week, we addressed the factors that instructors believe keep college students motivated. This week, we’ll share the student perspective. Will the responses that instructors gave align with those shared by the students?

In our recent Student Engagement Insights survey, we asked: “What motivates you most to succeed in college?” Over 3,500 students responded. Here’s how they answered:
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Join TeamUP for “TeamUP, Recharged!”—an online mini-conference on Friday, January 30 from 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. EST! Looking to energize, stimulate, and recharge your classroom? Then this online mini-conference is for you! TeamUP reviewed the virtual workshops it presented to live audiences starting in Spring 2012 through Fall 2014, identified which were downloaded the most, and recharged them with live Q&A segments and additional ideas for you to take and stimulate learning in your classroom! During this online mini-conference, TeamUP will address how to transform the challenging student into a master student and the ten traits of highly effective instructors. Read More…

Guest Contributor: Zak Malamed, Founder & Executive Director of Student Voice. Since May 2012, Student Voice has carried a conversation that once never existed. It started with a few tweets, then, two years in a row, we brought students, teachers, parents, politicians, thought leaders and change makers to New York City for our Student Voice Live! education summit. We may have started as a motley crew of students, but we shared—and still share—one common goal: to empower students to use their voices and embrace their inherent roles as stakeholders in the education community. Students should have the power to Read More…

Guest Contributor: Steve Joos, Product Director for 4LTR Press. In 2007, a group of people at Cengage Learning launched the first campaign by a major publisher to gain an understanding of what students valued in their learning materials.  The publishing industry already had a strong handle on what instructors wanted, but it became clear that students weren’t getting the value from these tools that their instructors hoped to provide – especially from the traditional textbook. This Cengage Learning group proceeded to conduct interviews and focus groups with hundreds of students and have collected user feedback from thousands more over the Read More…

For many students, securing an internship and preparing for job interviews can be overwhelming. To help students successfully navigate these crucial steps, Cengage Learning came to the Ohio University campus December 3, 2014, to provide Ohio University students with resources and tools to help best prepare for today’s job market. Engagement Specialist Ann Ruege recognized the need for more student-to-student conversations – mainly using digital solutions and garnering real-world experiences while in college. So with Ann leading the way, the Market Research & Outcomes team, District Manager Janey Moeller, Executive Learning Consultant Ellen Shraim, and Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Read More…