When the university lesson becomes a ritual
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If you are frustrated by silent and apathetic students in your classes, you are not alone. Many UK university lecturers report that even students who do attend class are less motivated and engaged. While there are many factors that contribute to this, what is less clear is what to do about it.
One strategy I tested involved treating university classes as interaction rituals: social activities, such as dinner parties, that excite, build connections and create shared experiences. Sociologist Randall Collins provides reasons why such activities are energising:
- everyone is physically and mentally present
- there are conditions for joining
- everyone is focused on the same thing…
- …which creates a shared mood.
By incorporating these factors into university learning, instructors can find new ways to motivate students.
Here are five things that can make a classroom interaction ritual succeed and two to watch out for.
Shut the door
If you want students to view your classroom as special, it must be separated from the rest of the world. Closing the door reminds them that they fit the requirements to attend, and that the classroom is a distinct space with its own expectations and norms.
Use formalities and jargon
While some embrace the image of the laid-back professor, formality can be a good thing in the classroom; it signals to students that classroom interactions are different from others they experience in their daily lives.
You can create a formal environment with simple rituals like clapping at the end of presentations and opening classes by greeting everyone, giving a lesson overview and saying something like “let’s begin”, and closing them by giving a brief summary, a preview of the next lesson and asking if anyone has any questions.
Another way to encourage formality is by using jargon relevant to your course. While some instructors are rightfully concerned about overwhelming students with technical terms, developing a shared understanding may help build connections.
Have fun with humour
University lectures and workshops can be emotional roller coasters. It takes a while to get going, then students might start to get interested in the material, but halfway through become tired and disengage.
In these instances, laughter can be energising. Being self-effacing or telling corny jokes tends to work well. These strategies often provide just enough of an emotional boost to keep everyone going to the end.
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Keep students off their devices
Students checking their phones and laptops not only miss out on class content, but also risk undoing the effort you’ve put into creating an engaging atmosphere. I’ve observed that when students detach from the people around them, their neighbours do the same, and soon enough, everyone is checked out. Scholars call this “absent presence” – while physically together, each person is alone in their own digital world.
For the classroom interaction ritual to work, everyone (including you) needs to be not just physically but also mentally present. Effective strategies for limiting phone use in class include:
- explaining the rationale and benefits of such a policy
- setting collaborative ground rules about appropriate phone use at the start of term
- having students place their phones in their bags at the start of class
- modelling good behaviour by not using a phone yourself.
Now, two things to be aware of:
Energy drains
Energy drains are students that sap the emotional energy from the class and thereby weaken the impact of the interaction ritual. They might dominate discussions, say inflammatory things or form cliques to gossip among themselves. They make others feel frustrated, awkward and keen to flee interactions – which they often do by getting on their phones.
To limit these types of interactions, you can develop a set of guidelines for classroom discussions that emphasise balanced participation and respect. If such situations still arise, you may need to talk to the offending students in private in a non-punitive way.
Digital tools
Digital learning platforms like Kahoot! can get students interacting with class material and each other. While research has shown their benefits to student engagement, remember that when students use to their phones to participate, they may focus more on their screens than on each other. Use such digital tools sparingly and with caution.
My last piece of advice…
Be an energy star
A key part of Collins’ theory is that interaction rituals often require energy stars: people who offer their energy to charge the group. For better or worse, your role as a university instructor is not only to convey complex information, but also to use your enthusiasm to motivate students. As Kingston University lecturer Ahmed Elbediwy describes, this is not about being flashy or over the top, but about engaging in the performative aspect of teaching: having a hook to draw your audience in, using your voice as an instrument by varying your pitch, speed and tone and creating a memorable end to the class.
By turning your classes into interaction rituals, you could re-energise even the most apathetic of students – and yourself – and spark excitement for learning.
Allan McCoy is an assistant professor at the University of Nottingham’s School of Medicine.
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