Get in Sync With Your Students

Engage. Motivate. Celebrate. With Dr. Christy Price

In this discouraging climate fraught with student apathy and disinterest are there courses and professors who inspire students to attend, engage, and put their best effort? The answer is YES! What factors influence student motivation and desire to learn? Obviously, there are some influences beyond the professor’s control, but research in educational psychology suggests there are things professors can do to increase students’ willingness to attend class, their ability to maintain interest, and their desire to learn. During this participatory session, we will discuss the characteristics of ideal learning environments for modern learners (both Millennials age 18-24 and non-traditional learners age 25 and older), their preferences regarding assessments, their perceptions regarding the characteristics of the ideal professor, and their ideal institutional practices. Throughout the presentation, participants will be encouraged to reflect on their methods and the learning environments they create, as we apply the findings of the presenter’s research regarding modern learners. Open-ended questionnaires, checklists, and video clips of faculty and students will be utilized in order to facilitate discussion regarding practical steps we can take to increase student motivation, interest, and desire to learn.

Meanwhile, we invite you to take a look at last year's keynote address Making Learning Visible by Alan November, an international leader in educational technology.

What is UFTL?

UNT's UFTL is an event designed to enable faculty, graduate teaching fellows, and staff involved in supporting teaching and learning to engage in open dialogue about the challenges of teaching and to share ideas and practices that improve teaching effectiveness.