Three to Thrive: Small Changes. Big Impact. Ready-to-Use Tips from the Student Experience Project

More Three-to-Thrive Tips: A Continuing Series

Three to Thrive: Small Changes. Big Impact.  

Three easy-to-implement teaching practices to improve the student experience. 

1. 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. 

2. 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. 

3. 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.