4 Types of Engagement to Enhance Student Learning

Although there is a plethora of evidence-based information about the importance of engaging students in active learning, many of us still use lectures as a major method of teaching. Lecture is still an acceptable, useful, and effective teaching method if you include active and engaging components (Weimer, 2019). So, let's start with a definition of engagement. This refers to the degree to which students are attentive, involved, motivated, and curious about learning (Wilson, 2021).  

As teachers, knowing different frameworks and strategies and understanding learning helps us adapt how we put our classes together with an eye on active learning and student engagement. I learned a long time ago that I cannot teach anyone anything. They must be open and willing to learn. Learning is the student's responsibility, but teachers need to do their part to create effective learning environments. It is important to remember that telling isn't teaching. We need students to actively engage in learning to increase retention.  

There are a lot of tools and methods out there for engaging students, from flipped classrooms to gaming. The goal isn't necessarily to know and integrate the latest and greatest tools because they all come and go. However, it is essential to make informed decisions about how best to engage students by understanding some of the conceptual frameworks of engagement. Too often, I see teachers wanting to include a particular tool or strategy without having a greater understanding of the different types of engagements. We will discuss four major engagement frameworks: cognitive, physical, emotional, and social.  

Types of Engagements  

Cognitive Engagement

Most of us have a grasp of this framework. This type deals with engaging students mentally and intellectually and includes thinking, processing, and analyzing information while taking part in an activity, such as problem-solving. Common engagement strategies include any task, activity, or assignment that requires problem-solving, such as procedural, case, or problem-based learning tasks, using the Socratic method, debates, and even role-playing.  

Physical Engagement

This type of engagement involves integrating places during class where students must move in order to complete the task or assignment. A common complaint I hear from students, and I suspect you do too, is how tired they are of sitting all the time. From a well-being standpoint, we all know that too much sitting is today's smoking, a habit that can lead to unwanted health issues (Doyle & Zakrajsek, 2019). So, we need to get our students up and out of their chairs.  

Research shows that movement, exercise, and even standing help optimize learning by improving concentration, relieving stress, increasing retention, and contributing to positive academic outcomes in college-age students (Ferrer & Laughlin, 2017; Ratey, 2013; University of Michigan, 2021). So, if you know your lecture or class is going beyond an hour, consider planning ways to get the students out of their chairs while still engaging them in learning. Common physical engagement strategies include gallery walks, mingle, and the human Likert scale (one of my favorites). Gallery walks require students to get up and walk around the room to see what other classmates have done. To ensure this doesn't become a passive activity, have one or more questions they must answer after reviewing each item. A modification of this would be incorporating stations, where students move around a circuit of stops, each requiring a different task. I have used this when reviewing physical examination skills and findings. It can be done individually or with students in groups. Stand and be counted is another way to get students up. In this strategy, you can pose a simple yes-no question and have students who said yes stand and then those who said no stand. Then, have the yes student pick a no student and discuss their choices. The Human Likert Scale starts with the entire class standing in the center of the room (it is best to push desks against the wall for this one). A statement is read, and students are to move to either side of the room, denoting whether they agree or disagree with the statement. Then, students open discussions to better understand their classmates opposing viewpoints. Another basic example is requiring the students to get up and write their findings on the assignment on the boards around the room or on large Post-it pads when working with pair-share or small groups. Although many of these are low-tech, in my experience, when intermittently mixed in, students actually enjoy getting up and moving around, and there is a lot more engagement than if they simply remained in their seats.   

Emotional engagement

Emotional engagement refers to how students feel about learning and its value, the feelings, and emotions that arise during learning, including those of safety, interest, and belonging, and their sense of enjoyment in the classroom and learning environment (Pietarinen et al., 2014). If students experience a positive and supportive environment, emotional engagement can enhance academic performance, learning satisfaction, and willingness to learn. Therefore,  before emotional engagement can happen, it is essential that we create a safe, positive learning space where students feel comfortable and safe enough to engage and they don't fear being mocked or disrespected. Research shows that without positive feelings about their learning and safety in their environment, students who feel emotionally unsafe will disengage in learning (Tokuhama-Espinsoa, 2011).  

However, I believe there is another aspect of emotional engagement in addition to what has been presented here, and that has to do with the evidence-based research that engaging emotions can enhance learning (Heyward, 2010; Immordino-Yang, 2016 ). What I am referring to here is the intention of using strategies and approaches that illicit an emotional (amygdala) response in students. When students are emotionally moved or touched by an experience in the learning environment, they are more likely to remember the concept being taught. For example, using story-telling and real-life examples to bring a particular concept to life or asking students to connect what they are learning to a personal experience. This results in an internal, affective connection that tends to have a lasting effect that results in enhanced retention (Immordino-Yang, 2016). Another way is using self–reflective activities or assignments that ask students are asked to consider the emotions they are experiencing raised by a situation. Selecting videos or movies that include emotional dynamics related to their learning topics. For example, in class, I would have students watch the movie "Miss Ever's Boys" because it covers so many ethical and difficult dynamics related to healthcare and medical research in a compelling and emotional true story.  

Social engagement

I believe many of us are familiar with this type of engagement. Social engagement refers to creating active participation and interactions between learners where they share ideas, collaborate on tasks, solve problems, etc. Research continues to show that when learners work together and interact, the depth of understanding and knowledge increases (Warren, 2024). As humans, we are social beings and generally prefer to learn in groups, and doing so has been shown to increase learning (Sharp, 2014). Using small and large group activities in all their various forms are two ways to implement social engagements, along with using collaborative learning activities. Collaborative learning is a tool that requires students to work together to learn new concepts, solve a problem, or complete a project. Think-pair-share, case studies, role-plays, book or journal clubs, discussion boards, simulation, gaming, and peer teaching are all ways to implement social engagement.  

Hopefully, you can appreciate that although these appear as distinct engagement formats, the truth is that there is a lot of overlap. For example, engaging students in collaborative learning engages them cognitively and can include physical engagement if they are also required to move during the activity. Of the four types, emotional engagement is one that underlies the other three because learning stops if students don't feel safe. Therefore, when planning your courses or each class, consider stepping back and thinking about which type of engagements will best serve your course learning outcomes, and then select activities and assignments that fit those types.  

References 

Ertel, P. K. (2022, July 26). 10 creative ways to better engage your students. Harvard Business Publishing Education. https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/10-creative-ways-to-better-engage-your-students  

Ferrer, M. E., & Laughlin, D. D. (2017). Increasing College Students' Engagement and Physical Activity with Classroom Brain Breaks. Editor: Ferman Konukman. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 88(3), 53–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2017.1260945  

Harrington, C. (2024, October 28). Seven simple strategies to increase student engagement and learning. The Teaching Professor. https://www.teachingprofessor.com/topics/teaching-strategies/seven-simple-strategies-to-increase-student-engagement-and-learning/  

Heyward, P. (2010). Emotional engagement through drama: Strategies to assist learning through role-play. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. 22,(2), 197-203.  

Immordino-Yang, M.H. (2016). Emotions, learning, and the brain: Exploring the educational implications of affective neuroscience. W. W. Norton & Company.  

Sharpe, K. (2014, May 7). Our brains are wired for social learning. Youth Development Insight University of Minnesota Extension. https://blog-youth-development  

McPheat, S. (2023). 15 active learning strategies and examples. https://www.skillshub.com/blog/active-learning-strategies-examples/  

Pietarinen, J, Soini, T., & Pyhalto, K. (2014). Students' emotional and cognitive engagement as the determinants of well-being and achievement in school. International Journal of Educational Research, 67, 40-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2014.05.001  

Ratey, J. (2013). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. Little, Brown and Company.  

Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2011). Mind, brain, body education science: A comprehensive guide to the new brain-based teaching. W. W. Norton & Company.  

University of Michigan, (2021). Using physical movement to increase student engagement and learning.https://lsa.umich.edu/technology-services/news-events/all-news/teaching-tip-of-the-week/using-physical-movement-to-increase-student-engagement-and-learning.html  

Warren, C. (2024, March 15). The power of we: How social engagement shapes learning. https://blog.booknook.com/the-power-of-we-how-social-engagement-shapes-learning#:~:text=by%20Connie%20Warren%20on%20Mar,that%20together%2C%20we%20achieve%20more.  

Weimer, M. (2019, February 1). Lectures and prior knowledge: Helping students make sense of new material. The Teaching Professor. https://www.teachingprofessor.com/topics/for-those-who-teach/lectures-and-prior-knowledge-helping-students-make-sense-of-new-material/  

Wilson, J. (2021, November 8). Deepening students' cognitive engagement. https://moreland.edu/resources/blog-insights/deepening-students-cognitive-engagement