Are you passionate about creating a more supportive learning environment for your students? Would you like to connect with other educators across the UTA to intentionally apply research-based strategies that foster student success?
Consider becoming a Student Experience Project (SEP) Fellow and joining a dynamic community of practice focused on the deliberate integration of student success elements into teaching.
What is the SEP Community of Practice?
Supported by the University of Texas System, the SEP community brings together educators who are committed to enhancing student outcomes through practices that build:
Growth Mindset – Encouraging students to see intelligence and abilities as qualities that can be developed.
Resilience – Helping students bounce back from challenges and setbacks.
Self-Efficacy – Fostering students’ belief in their ability to succeed.
Welcoming Environment – Creating inclusive classrooms where all students feel they belong.
By becoming a SEP Fellow, you’ll collaborate with peers across institutions, gain access to evidence-based strategies, and help lead the charge in transforming the student experience in your courses and beyond.
For more information about the Student Experience Project, please visit the SEP website, visit the CRTLE website SEP page, or contact Amy Austin (AMAUSTIN@uta.edu) or Heather Arterburn (heathera@uta.edu).
Join us in shaping a more equitable and supportive learning experience—one student, one class, one mindset at a time.
How do we create meaningful connections with students when teaching hundreds of learners in asynchronous online courses?
That question guided October’s Faculty Voices session led by Dr. Tyler Garner from the Department of Kinesiology. The session demystified Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) requirements and demonstrated how faculty can foster genuine engagement at scale without overwhelming their workload.
Understanding RSI: Beyond Compliance
The session opened with a critical distinction: RSI is not just a federal regulation to satisfy—it’s a framework for effective online teaching that directly impacts student success. The 2021 Department of Education clarification defined RSI as an interaction that is instructor-initiated, academic in nature, and predictably scheduled. Regular means interaction follows a predictable schedule, so students know when to expect instructor engagement. Substantive means the interaction focuses on academic content through direct instruction, individualized feedback, content questions and answers, or facilitated discussions.
Since 1992, the Higher Education Act has distinguished legitimate distance education from correspondence courses, but the regulations remained vague until recent years. Cases like Saint Mary of the Woods College losing federal financial aid eligibility in 2011 and Western Governance University facing an Office of Inspector General audit highlighted the real consequences of non-compliance. The session framed RSI as quality teaching, not just compliance—particularly for large online enrollments.
What Counts as RSI and What Doesn’t
The session clarified specific activities that meet RSI criteria. According to Department of Education guidelines, substantive interaction requires at least two of the following: providing direct instruction, assessing or giving personalized feedback on coursework, responding to content-related questions, facilitating group discussions, or conducting other approved instructional activities.
Activities that count toward RSI include actively facilitating discussion boards with comments and replies to student posts, posting announcements relevant to course content, providing personalized comments on individual assignments beyond rubric checkmarks, and contacting students with feedback based on exam or assignment performance. Group-level feedback that synthesizes patterns and guides next steps also qualifies.
Activities that do not count include announcements unrelated to course content such as campus events or “grades posted” notices, adding numeric grades without explanatory feedback, welcome messages or general information emails, and unmoderated discussion forums where students interact without instructor presence. The distinction matters because RSI directly influences student retention, belonging, and learning outcomes. The session emphasized that students in large online courses often report never receiving personalized communication from instructors—a gap that RSI practices are designed to address.
Tools That Scale: Panel Insights
A panel featuring Dr. Christy Spivey from Economics, Dr. Heather Arterburn from Biology, and Sarah Suraj from the Center for Distance Education shared practical approaches for implementing RSI in large courses.
Inspire for Faculty emerged as a cornerstone tool for scalable outreach. This Canvas-integrated platform tracks student engagement and allows faculty to send personalized emails to groups of students based on their performance or activity levels. The tool automatically inserts each student’s first name or preferred name, creating individualized messages at scale. Faculty can filter students by engagement level, grade performance, or factors like first-term status or course retake status.
Canvas Grade Book features provide another efficient pathway for targeted communication. Faculty can message students who haven’t submitted assignments, who scored above or below certain thresholds, or whose work hasn’t been graded yet—all without manually tracking down email addresses. The SpeedGrader comment library allows faculty to save reusable comments and then personalize each note to keep feedback substantive while managing time.
Design Plus enhances both course aesthetics and functionality, offering tokens that personalize course pages with student names and quick-check questions that increase engagement with content. The tool helps create interactive experiences that keep students actively processing material rather than passively scrolling, improving page flow and reducing endless scrolling.
H5P provides extensive interactive question types and includes scenario-based branching activities where students choose their learning path. This tool allows learners to explore different theories or approaches, making choices that lead to personalized learning experiences without explicit instructor direction for each pathway. The branching scenarios proved particularly powerful for letting students learn through the consequences of their choices.
Perusall supports social annotation, placing students in small auto-generated groups to read and discuss texts together. The platform’s algorithm can provide initial grading based on time spent and comment quality, which instructors can then review and adjust. This approach allows faculty to engage with groups rather than individual students, making rich discussion more manageable in large courses while letting instructors view students’ thinking traces in context.
Making Students Feel Seen
The panel addressed the challenge of helping students feel valued rather than invisible in large online environments. Key strategies included using smaller discussion groups to reduce intimidation, creating videos with faculty faces and voices to establish presence, and carefully choosing vocabulary that communicates belief in student growth.
Video announcements proved particularly powerful for building instructor presence. Faculty reported that seeing an instructor’s face and hearing their tone transforms the online experience, making abstract course requirements feel personal and supportive. Canvas Studio makes this accessible and allows faculty to embed quiz questions directly in videos for trackable engagement.
The session also highlighted the importance of scaffolding assignments throughout the semester rather than waiting until midterm or finals. Early, low-stakes assignments allow faculty to identify access issues, technology problems, or engagement concerns before they become critical obstacles to success. Pre-programming weekly announcements in Canvas at the start of the semester allows faculty to schedule words of encouragement, exam reminders, and motivational messages that post automatically throughout the term.
Rethinking Discussion Boards and Group Work
Rather than abandoning discussion boards, the session encouraged redesigning them for deeper engagement. Structured prompts that require students to apply, synthesize, or debate concepts—and that ask students to pose questions to their peers—generate more meaningful exchanges than simple recall questions. Breaking large classes into smaller discussion groups allows faculty to respond to groups as a whole rather than individual posts, meeting RSI requirements while managing workload.
For group projects, panelists shared approaches including peer evaluations integrated into Canvas assignments with configurable anonymity and rubrics, role-based grading where each student receives credit for their specific contribution using rotating roles like researcher, presenter, editor, and coordinator, and collaboration grades that multiply the project grade by each student’s teamwork score. Creating team charters for group work explicitly outlines expectations for mutual accountability, recognizing that part of learning group work involves developing leadership and management skills.
Emerging Support: AI and Automation
The session acknowledged emerging AI tools that may support RSI implementation while emphasizing that automation should supplement rather than replace human-led interaction. The university is testing Cloud Force, an AI chatbot that can answer common student questions by drawing from course syllabi and materials, freeing faculty to focus on substantive academic interaction. The goal is to use technology to handle routine policy and syllabus questions so faculty can devote attention to meaningful academic engagement that counts toward RSI.
Key Takeaways
The session reinforced that RSI is an essential federal standard with real consequences for non-compliance, but more importantly, it’s a proven framework for improving student outcomes in online learning. Not all interaction qualifies—it must be instructor-initiated, academic, and predictable. Large course enrollments don’t preclude personalized interaction when faculty use strategic tools and intentional course design.
By leveraging platforms like Inspire for Faculty, Canvas features, Design Plus, H5P, and Perusall, instructors can create genuine connections with students at scale. The key is moving from passive content delivery to participatory learning experiences where students feel recognized, supported, and engaged with both their instructor and the academic material. Presence beats volume—short, targeted videos and specific comments outperform long, generic updates.
Join the Conversation
How are you structuring predictable, substantive instructor touchpoints in large online courses? What combinations of grouping, peer review, and targeted outreach have worked for you? Which interactive elements, like QuickChecks, H5P, or Perusall, have improved engagement without adding grading load? Share your strategies and insights in the comments, or reach out to the Center for Research on Teaching and Learning Excellence (CRTLE) at CRTLE@uta.edu for support in implementing these approaches in your courses.
Three easy-to-implement teaching practices to improve the student experience
1. Welcoming Environment: “10-minute Check-in”
To help students feel more connected and engaged, take the first 10 minutes of class for a quick check-in. This can be done in pairs or small groups, giving everyone a chance to share what they’re working on, ask questions, and highlight any recent progress. After small group discussions, invite a few groups to share insights with the larger class. This simple routine builds community, encourages collaboration, and helps surface useful questions or ideas early on.
Here’s a sample script to get you started:
Let’s take a few minutes to get oriented before we begin. Please respond to the following:
What’s one thing you’re currently working on or reviewing from this course?
(This could be a concept, assignment, or reading.)
Is there anything from last class or the materials that you’d like clarified today?
(Feel free to mention specific topics or questions.)
What’s one goal you have for today’s session?
(Example: understand a concept, make progress on a project, ask a question.)
Optional: Is there anything coming up (academic or otherwise) that might affect your participation today?
(This helps us support each other and plan accordingly.)
2. Growth Mindset: Embrace Struggles as Learning
Students often read difficulty as a verdict (“I’m bad at this”) instead of a signal (“Here’s where to focus next”). When we name struggle as expected and pair it with concrete next steps, students persist longer, try better strategies, and learn more.
Low-Lift Strategies you can implement this week:
60-second opener: “What tripped you up last time?” Consider using an anonymous posting platform such as Mentimeter or PollEverywhere to invite students to share their struggles without feeling spotlighted.
Error/Strategy Swap: After an activity, have students write down 1 error + 1 new strategy they’ll try next time (e.g., “misread axes; annotate figure before answering”).
Model a flub: Briefly describe a time you got stuck and the exact step that got you unstuck.
Here’s some student-friendly language to use in class or on Canvas:
“Struggle is a signal, not a sentence. It tells us where to work next.”
“You’re not there yet. Here’s the next step to get there.”
“In this course, mistakes are practice data. We’ll use them to choose better strategies.”
“What’s one thing you’ll do differently on the next attempt?”
3. Wise Feedback: Assessment Wrappers
After returning a major assignment or exam, take 10–15 minutes to guide students through an assessment wrapper, a short reflective activity that helps them analyze their performance. This is a great tool to use in large enrollment courses.
Steps to Implement:
After returning a major exam or assignment, provide a short reflection worksheet or prompt.
Ask students to identify what preparation strategies they used, what worked, and what they would change.
Facilitate a brief discussion or collect responses to identify common themes and offer targeted support.
Benefits:
Encourages metacognitive awareness and self-regulated learning.
Helps students make informed adjustments before final assessments.
Provides instructors with insight into student study habits and challenges.
I was thrilled when Peggy Semingson and the CRTLE team invited me to lead a webinar on Open Education. It’s an exciting moment for the field, and for UTA in particular. To say that UTA is ahead of the curve in Open Education feels like an understatement. We’re not just talking about affordability or access anymore. We’re building a culture of openness that is shaping how we teach, learn, and create knowledge together.
Even before the session began, the registration data told a story: UTA faculty already know about OER. Many have used open materials, and a growing number are ready to take their next steps; toward adaptation, creation, and open pedagogy. That readiness was reflected in the energy of the session. I’ve been feeling this shift across campus for some time now, in the kinds of questions faculty and students ask, in how they talk about flexibility and inclusion, and in the way they connect their teaching to broader equity goals. The research backs this up, too. Recent work by Madhav (2024), Noone et al. (2024), Rampelt et al. (2025), Tlili et al. (2025), and Kelly et al. (2025), point to the field’s evolution from a cost-savings model toward a focus on open practice, teaching and learning in ways that are participatory, creative, and learner-centered.
This webinar gave us a chance to explore that shift together. It wasn’t just a presentation, it felt like a community moment. I was able to invite several of UTA’s most engaged open educators to share their experiences. Honestly, I couldn’t invite everyone I wanted to; we have so many champions across disciplines that an hour barely scratched the surface.
Each speaker offered a glimpse into how Open Education takes shape in real classrooms.
Dr. Shelley Wigley, who led a PR Campaigns course that turned her students into collaborators and creators, reflected on how empowering it was to see her students’ research and media projects shared openly through MavMatrix. “They weren’t just making assignments; they were making something that could help others,” she said. That sense of purpose is at the heart of open pedagogy.
Dr. Dylan Parks spoke about his journey writing Microbiomes: Health and the Environment through a UTA CARES grant. He offered grounded, candid advice about the process, celebrating both the excitement and the reality of publishing openly. His reminder to “start simple, then build as you learn” resonated with many in the audience who are considering their first OER project.
Dr. Rebecca Mauldin, author of one of Mavs Open Press’s most adopted books, emphasized impact. She shared stories of students who felt seen and supported because their professor cared enough to remove cost barriers. “It’s not just about saving money,” she said. “It’s about belonging.”
And Dr. David Arditi, who recently finished his open textbook, Keepin’ Up with Popular Culture, highlighted the creative autonomy that comes with open licensing: “You don’t have to wait for permission to share what you know. You can build something that reflects your values and your students’ needs.” He also pointed to a bigger ripple: Open Education nudges scholarly publishing toward models that value access, reuse, and community impact. For him, publishing openly is not just a textbook choice. It is a stance on how knowledge should circulate, be remixed, and count in our professional lives.
Those reflections captured exactly what I hoped this session would show: Open Education is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s a mindset. It’s a way of working that values collaboration, flexibility, and human connection as much as it values access.
In my part of the session, I introduced some of the evolving supports we’ve built at UTA Libraries to help faculty and students along this path. Our OER subject guide now includes a growing list of tools, finders, and trackers. The OER Matchmaking Service pairs faculty with curated resources, saving hours of initial searching. Our new Open Education Research and Planning Mini-Grant helps participants explore the OER landscape in their field while earning the first four badges of the Trailblazers Badge Program. And through the Open Education Trailblazers initiative itself, we’re intentionally creating space for both educators and students to learn, design, and advocate together.
That last piece matters deeply to me. Faculty have led the way in so many incredible projects, but the next chapter of UTA’s open story has to include student voices. I want students to help co-create the narrative of what learning looks like when it’s truly open, when curiosity and creativity lead.
One of the most meaningful parts of the webinar was watching attendees connect the dots between their own teaching goals and the potential of Open Education. Many shared in the chat that they’ve been searching for ways to make their courses more inclusive, adaptable, and relevant. Others said they finally understood that OER isn’t only about free textbooks, it’s about freedom in teaching. That recognition feels like the beginning of something larger.
As I closed the session, I reflected on how far we’ve come. When I first started in this role, much of the conversation around OER centered on discovery and adoption. Those remain vital foundations, but now I see educators reimagining their courses, questioning traditional publishing models, and embracing the idea that knowledge should be shared, not gated. We are, in many ways, trailblazing what Open Education can look like at a comprehensive public university.
There’s more to do, of course. More stories to tell, more resources to build, more bridges between faculty and students. But this webinar reminded me why the work is so energizing, it’s not about convincing people anymore. It’s about supporting the momentum that’s already here.
As I look ahead, I’m eager to keep these conversations going, to help more educators and students see themselves as part of UTA’s open community, and to keep showing that openness is not just a value; it’s a practice we live together.
Resources
Kelly, A. E., Avila, B. N., & Schell, A. C. (2025). Students as co-authors: Achievement emotions, beliefs about writing, and OER publishing decisions. Open Praxis, 17(1), 21–33. https://doi.org/10.55982/openpraxis.17.1.745
Madhav, N. (2024). Optimising open educational Resources and practises to enable inclusive education. Teacher Education through Flexible Learning in Africa (TETFLE), 6, 165–184. https://doi.org/10.35293/tetfle.v6i1.5040
Noone, J., Champieux, R., Taha, A., Gran-Moravec, M., Hatfield, L., Cronin, S., & Shoemaker, R. (2024). Implementing open educational resources: Lessons learned. Journal of Professional Nursing, 55, 65–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2024.08.005
Rampelt, F., Ruppert, R., Schleiss, J., Mah, D.-K., Bata, K., & Egloffstein, M. (2025). How do AI educators use open educational Resources? A cross-sectoral case study on OER for AI education. Open Praxis. https://doi.org/10.55982/openpraxis.17.1.766
Tlili, A., Zhang, X., Lampropoulos, G., Salha, S., Garzón, J., Bozkurt, A., Huang, R., & Burgos, D. (2025). Uncovering the black box effect of epen educational Resources (OER) and practices (OEP): A meta-analysis and meta-synthesis from the perspective of activity theory. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 504. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04644-y
Our lightning round faculty talks inaugural event on teaching on 9/26 was so much fun. We learned so much in this microlearning event.
Eight award-winning faculty shared their wisdom at this HyFlex event. We had over 70 join online which speaks to the power of having virtual join options. My mom joined us! The recording and recap will be posted by tomorrow! Stay tuned for two more events like this in the spring. NOTE: Views are the perspectives of individual faculty and not that of UT Arlington or CRTLE.
Our slogan for this event: “Micro learning, macro impact.”
The speakers presented short, practical ideas ranging from math vignettes to foster close student attention, to poetry exercises that build a sense of belonging. A consistent theme was the importance of connection, vulnerability, and continuous feedback to boost student self-efficacy and improve teaching.
The strategies shared focused on intellectual engagement, personal connection, emotional vulnerability, and feedback loops.
Strategy: Uses a flawed mathematical proof to make a sensational claim (that the weight of an ant equals the weight of a bear) to force students to pay close attention and find the hidden error (the square root of a negative value).
“Ask them if they believe your argument. You can do it correctly or incorrectly, but either way the students have to decide.”
Dr. Rebecca Deen (Political Science/Assoc. Dean)
Strategy: Emphasizes building a sense of belonging and self-efficacy through personal connection, such as sharing a memorable detail like “My dog has fleas” or engaging in small acts of kindness for students.
“The single best predictor of whether a student has an extraordinary time in college is whether or not they get to know at least one faculty member well enough so that they stay in touch with them for the rest of their lives.”
Dr. Diane Mitschke (School of Social Work)
Strategy: Uses the “Where I’m From” poem as an icebreaker to have students write about their background, senses, and paradigms. This activity instantly breaks down barriers, develops empathy, and sets the groundwork for discussions on difficult issues.”
“What it does is it breaks down barriers instantly because as students stand up in front of the room and present themselves to the rest of the class. It develops an empathy around these stories and it helps students to see one another as having shared experiences…”
Dr. Ken Roemer (English)
Strategy: Implements a continuous feedback system where students spend the last five minutes of class writing an ungraded response to two questions (one macro question about the class’s main focus and one micro question about a moving moment). This simple, continuous feedback loop empowers students by showing they are teaching the instructor.
“How can we get a much better sense of feedback from our students? I wanted something that was continuous feedback, not just thing poked at the end of the course.”
Dr. Frank Foss (Organic Chemistry)
Strategy: Focused on changing the perception and use of office hours, moving away from “by appointment only” to enhance his understanding of student thought processes and improve his own teaching.
“This is your connection hour. Try and say, well, yeah, let’s talk. Sit down. Tell me about yourself. What are you trying to do? What are you interested in? How do you think this class is going to fit into what you’re doing? Have you ever considered a life as a chemist? Have you done research? You know? Ask them questions, get them engaged.”
Dr. Peggy L. Semingson (Host/Moderator from CRTLE)
Strategy: As the moderator, she briefly shared a literacy-based strategy, endorsing the use of the “Where I’m From” poem Diane shared about because it resonates universally and provides students with a powerful voice through writing.
“I think in these hard time, these trying times, sometimes when we feel like our voices are silenced, when students can write, I think, I think that’s great.”
Dr. Karen Magruder (School of Social Work)
Strategy: Karen shared four techniques that supported asynchronous online teaching including: 1) providing a syllabus overview video 2) a humanizing introduction video from the professor 3) assignment overview videos and 4) email responsiveness.
Strategy: Dr. Nila is an expert at active learning and shared her technique of “Take a Stand if it’s You!”. This teaching activity designed for face-to-face engagement that encourages students to move and interact. The strategy is highly versatile, working effectively with both small classes (under 20) and large classes (200+), and can be implemented in any subject area, making it especially valuable for comparative analysis of concepts or case studies. Instructors can use it as a quick 5–10 minute activity or expand it to fill a full class period, with the option to divide the class into two or multiple groups depending on the topic being addressed.
*This post was co-written with Google Gemini.
The original description of this event is below. We hope to host at least two more similar events in the Spring of 2026. Stay tuned!
From innovative engagement techniques to proven assessment methods, these talks are designed to be a “faculty playbook” of actionable strategies you can implement in your own classroom immediately. Whether you’re looking to spark student curiosity, streamline your workflow, or simply refine your teaching style, you’ll walk away with fresh ideas and a renewed sense of purpose.
Participants will be able to identify and describe at least three new, practical teaching strategies presented by award-winning faculty that can be immediately implemented in their own courses.
Participants will gain an understanding of how small, specific changes in teaching practices can lead to significant improvements in student engagement, comprehension, and overall learning outcomes.
Participants will be inspired to reflect on their own teaching methods and motivated to experiment with innovative techniques to enhance their classroom effectiveness.
Our first blog post shared three easy upgrades for teaching—ready-to-use scripts for a welcoming start, growth mindset framing, and wise feedback.
This month, we’re back with fresh, practical tips to help you keep the momentum going! Learn how to boost student engagement with video feedback, design assignments that encourage a growth mindset, and set the tone for a collaborative class experience.
Check out this month’s SEP Faculty Fellows tips on the blog: [Click here to explore the new posts!]
For more information about SEP, visit our website page.
Three to Thrive: Small Changes. Big Impact.
Three easy-to-implement teaching practices to improve the student experience.
Welcoming Environment: “Co-creating a Learning Space”
When stepping into a new classroom—whether you’re teaching the course for the first time or meeting a fresh group of students—it’s helpful to frame the experience as a shared journey. One way to communicate this is through the idea that “we are co-creating this class.”
This message can sound like:
“I may be the content expert, but this is your class. We will learn together, and together we will make this class special and responsive to your needs as learners. Every group of students is unique, and I expect this class to take on its own character. I am learning from you, too.”
This framing sets a welcoming tone and helps students feel a sense of ownership over the learning environment. It emphasizes that:
Learning is collaborative. You and your students are partners in the process.
Students’ voices matter. Their questions, feedback, and engagement help shape the class.
Each class is unique. No two groups are the same, and that’s a strength to celebrate.
By using this approach, you encourage students to be active participants rather than passive recipients, building a stronger sense of community and investment in their success.
Growth Mindset in Action: The Power of Multiple, Low-Stakes Assignments
One of the most effective ways to nurture a growth mindset in your students is by rethinking the structure of your assessments. Anxiety, stress, and fear are common when students face only a few high-stakes assignments, think midterms and finals that make up most of the grade. In these situations, students often focus on avoiding failure rather than embracing the learning process.
Consider weaving in a variety of low-stakes activities throughout your course, such as:
Short Quizzes: Quick checks for understanding, either in class or online.
Discussion Posts: Opportunities for students to reflect and respond to course topics.
Brief Reflections: One-minute papers or journal entries to capture key takeaways.
Group Discussions: Small group conversations that let students process material together and practice explaining concepts in their own words.
Why it works: Designing your course around multiple, low-stakes assignments helps build confidence, promote deeper engagement with course material, and improve performance by allowing students to identify low performing areas as opportunities for growth. It also helps you to gauge student understanding and make adjustments in real time.
Wise Feedback:Make Feedback Personal with Video Comments
Do you want to increase the number of students who review your feedback on assignments? Using video comments in Canvas is a powerful tool for providing wise feedback. This can boost student engagement while helping you appear more approachable as an instructor.
Here’s how:
Canvas -> SpeedGrader -> Camera Icon (under Comments).
You can even do it from your phone: Canvas app -> assignments -> click on attachment icon in the comment box.
Consider using an SEP wise-feedback framing statement when delivering video comments. Wise feedback means acknowledging the difficulty of the material while guiding students toward a growth-mindset. Here is one example: “Hi! These concepts are challenging, but I know that you can master them. I am going to provide 3 suggestions to help you improve your understanding of this material. First, consider ….”
Acknowledgements
This post was written by faculty fellows in the Student Experience Project (SEP) at The University of Texas at Arlington, a project funded by The University of Texas System and done in collaboration with CRTLE, the Division of Student Success, and the Division of Faculty Success.
For more information about SEP, visit our website page.
In a time of heated moments in public discourse, faculty may face challenges facilitating meaningful dialogue on contested or controversial issues while maintaining a constructive classroom environment.
This blog post, written by Dr. Shelley Wigley and Dr. Peggy Semingson with contributions and ideas on de-escalation from Shelby Boseman, UTA Office of Legal Affairs, discusses ways to intentionally foster civil discourse in the classroom, especially when it covers contested or controversial issues. Ideas apply to both face-to-face and online settings.
Note: Ideas here are views of the faculty who authored this blog post and not those of UT Arlington or CRTLE.
Even if your course doesn’t inherently contain controversial topics, it’s possible that students may bring these ideas into classroom discussions either in-class or online. The key is to stay proactive and look at both the structure of your course and the ways in which you can facilitate educational and productive discussion.
We hope that faculty will not avoid open discussion in class (and/or online), especially when dialogue offers learning opportunities and a chance to share perspectives and insights about the curriculum.
To facilitate these discussions, we are providing the following brief set of tips for navigating teaching.
This post covers three main categories: 1) staying proactive and designing your course and instruction well, 2) de-escalating if needed, and 3) responding to a more serious or threatening situation (and documenting, if needed).
Intentional Course Design
Below are proactive steps you can take to strengthen your course and clarify classroom norms before the class even begins.
Set expectations early. Include discussion norms in your syllabus and on Canvas and revisit them before tough conversations and periodically.
Establish discussion norms and state these in your syllabus, on Canvas and prior to class discussions.
Example: We are exploring challenging material. Please interpret discussions within the full classroom context.
Ensure topics you discuss connect with course material and make sure students understand the connection.Make the “why” clear. Connect controversial topics directly to course goals and content so students understand their relevance.
Example: Today we are discussing __________(event/topic) because it provides an opportunity to apply the concepts of ________ and _______, which we read about last week.
Establish ground rules for the discussion.
Example from Shelley’s class: “We will look at this from the organization’s perspective. What is in the best interest of the organization? We will not examine personal feelings or opinions, but instead we’ll examine what is best for the impacted organization and its stakeholders.”
Advice from Peggy’s teaching: A great video I recorded a few years ago was with my colleague, Dr. Leigh Hall, who uses the idea of the “Discussion Charter,” where students take ownership of what they expect from themselves and their peers in a discussion. Click the hyperlink to learn more about this student-centered idea from this short YouTube video: “Chat with Leigh Hall about Teaching in Higher Ed: The Discussion Charter”. I have done this with students prior to having them discuss different perspectives on children’s literature. You can ask them, “What works well in discussion? What doesn’t work well?” While the discussion charter is more focused on general discussion norms, it can be used as the groundwork for discussing more heated topics.
Know your students. Conduct a pre-course survey using Microsoft Forms (anonymous is key) or QuestionPro to gauge students’ comfort levels with the topics and any experience or concerns they might have with difficult conversations.
Start small. Create assignments to build up to complex topics beginning with lower-stakes assignments
Online discussion
In-class discussion
Think-pair-share or small groups
Model the behavior you want to see. Teach active listening and model this practice in the classroom. Provide a handout or other resources that guide students into active listening, or in the case of asynchronous online courses, active reading and responding on discussion boards.
Be transparent. Include a section in your syllabus (and on Canvas) describing your course policies on academic freedom, civil discourse, and expression. Align curriculum with the course description: Connect classroom teaching to the learning objectives of the course, the course content, and the academic mission of the course and university.
De-escalation Tactics: Stay Calm When Things Get Heated
Because discussions can sometimes become emotionally charged or venture off track, we offer the following advice.
Pause and reset. Revisit discussion norms if needed.
Continue to model. As an instructor, avoid getting emotional or personal about any topics. Stay grounded in the topics, the research literature, and textbook(s)/readings. Redirect student ideas back to the readings: “Thank you for that comment. I want to shift our focus back to the evidence in the reading.”
Structure discussion to foster different ways to express views. For example, restate the connections of the course discussion to the textbook/readings/course materials and student learning objectives.
Take a short classroom break to allow emotions to cool.
Documenting and Responding
Finally, if a situation escalates, consider the following:
Threats to others → Refer immediately to University Police Department. Dial 817-272-3003
Threats of self-harm → First, contact the University Police Department. Dial 817-272-3003. Then, refer to the CARE Team (for students) or the Threat Assessment Team(for employees).
If off topic student discussions persist, you may let the class know that class may be stopped and a homework assignment given instead.
Address disruptive behavior privately, i.e., avoid calling a student out in class unless there is a safety risk. You may refer a student to Student Conduct for classroom behavior issues. If you are concerned a class has been recorded in unauthorized ways, contact Student Conduct.
As the instructor, you can end class at any time. You also have the right to ask students to leave class if their behavior does not conform to classroom standards.
Make notes after an incident regarding what occurred, who was involved, and how you responded.
If a disruption affected the entire class, consider discussing in the following class re-establishing classroom expectations.
Conclusion
We hope these tips provide insights into ways to keep discussions civil and what to do if you need to de-escalate. Stay tuned to this blog for further techniques on these same topics.
Final Proactive Tip:Keep the UTA Student Conduct website referral link handy and put the UTA Police Department in your phone on speed dial.
Please share the link to this blog post widely! For comments on this blog post, please contact CRTLE at: CRTLE@uta.edu
