Flexible Instructional Strategies to Meet Students Where They Are

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education instructors have experienced the value of designing classes that can be adaptable in the face of unexpected events. While the pandemic itself has been a unique historical event, disruptions to teaching will likely be felt in the future again.

Instructors and students alike benefit from approaching their course design with some room for flexibility. As Beth Buyserie, Rachel Welton Bryson, and Rachel Quistberg (2021) explain, “pedagogies of productive disruption seek to create learning opportunities and spaces that engage with and respond to evolving and unpredictable disruptions in the virtual, material, and psychosocial landscapes in which teaching and learning take place” (p. 37). Even if future disruptions are not as widespread as those of the pandemic, students and instructors alike may face disruptions in their personal lives, such as unexpected illness or a care-taking event for a family member or friend, that could impact their abilities to engage with their educational experiences.

History professor Kevin Gannon (2019) writes that “If we want our students to learn, we have to pay attention to all of the things that either assist in or interfere with that learning” (Gannon, p. 59). Part of paying attention to those things is proactively anticipating what students might need to be successful in a course.

Provided below are four evidence-based approaches designed to help you meet students where they are in their learning.

Use metacognitive strategies to help students observe patterns in their learning and study practice. From these patterns, students can identify what is helping (or hindering) their learning.

Explore metacognitive strategies and classroom examples to adapt for your teaching context (see Yale's Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning resource(link is external)(link is external)).
For high-stakes assessments, strategies like exam wrappers can help students meaningfully reflect on their performance by unpacking what grade they expected to achieve vs. actual result, what this grade means in the context of their learning in your course, and how they can prepare differently before the next big assessment (see Carnegie Mellon's Eberly Center resource(link is external)(link is external)).
Offer students opportunities to practice their skills on low-stakes assignments and during class, particularly before high-stakes assignments. For example, concept maps(link is external)(link is external) or concept test questions(link is external)(link is external) can help instructors gather a baseline understanding of students' prior knowledge.

With many unexpected changes to our teaching contexts, consider prioritizing depth over breadth as a strategy for designing flexible and inclusive courses. Provided below is a non-exhaustive list of resources to help you design equitable learning experiences for your students.

Read CTL's article on supporting your students' return to campus. Although written back in August 2021, many of the strategies are still relevant as students continue to navigate unexpected challenges to their learning.
Oftentimes perceptions of learning loss are symptomatic of inequitable learning experiences. Consider incorporating values affirmation and sense of belonging interventions into your course plans to support students who may feel out of place or excluded from your classroom, discipline, or higher education more broadly.

Evaluation tools are designed to communicate how students are expected to demonstrate their learning. Rubrics are used on both high- and low-stakes assignments, such as homework, in-class participation, research papers, and project work. Explore resources for (re)designing your evaluation tool.

Develop a rubric for assessments in your course(s). Explore example rubrics for group projects, brief written assignments, and participation (see Carnegie Mellon's Eberly Center resource(link is external)(link is external)).
Consider using alternative approaches to grading. Given our general shift to remote teaching and flexible course designs, instructors might consider contract grading strategies like specifications grading(link is external)(link is external).
Read about the advantages of alternatives to traditional testing and explore examples to adapt for your teaching context.

Collect student feedback at strategic points in the semester to learn more about your students' needs and use this information to inform changes to your teaching practice and course plans while the semester is ongoing.

Gather student feedback at the mid-semester point to determine whether students are learning as expected.
CTL offers a Mid-Semester Inquiry (MSI) consultation service to help instructors collect anonymous student feedback using a focus group approach.
Use the "Welcome to the Class" and "Mid-Semester Check-In" survey features(link is external)(link is external) in the DLS Core Template(link is external)(link is external) to gather students' feedback using bCourses. Both survey features include pre-populated questions for you to use and adapt to your own teaching context.

Review prerequisite skills to activate prior knowledge, especially at the beginning of the term. Then, consider how you might adjust the course based on where students are in their learning.

"I always provide background lectures and assignments from the pre-req courses, post them on bCourses, and advertise their existence and promote their use throughout the first month of the course. Anytime a topic comes up that builds off of prerequisite knowledge, I call it out..." - Instructor in a gateway Chemistry class
"Breaking down of assignments into much smaller chunks and asking that students submit materials to make sure they’re doing the preliminary work they need to do to complete more advanced tasks" - Instructor of Reading & Composition class

Modify assignments to scaffold students’ learning by incorporating low-stakes assessments at strategic points in the semester (e.g., prior to a high-stakes assessment), assigning projects rather than traditional exams, and adjusting deadlines to offer flexible learning opportunities.

"I have found that assigning lots of low stakes assignments that focus on the core skills of analytical writing has been effective, especially in combination with anonymous peer reviews, which I’ve assigned through bCourses. This has helped students learn from each other and gain comfort with the basics, no matter their previous skill level." - Instructor of Reading & Composition class
"I have implemented a scaffolding assignment template, in which the assignments add on to each other over the course of the semester. So students build towards their final research essay through a series of small research essays through a series of small research essays." - Instructor of Reading & Composition class
"Increased quizzes, pre-recorded lectures and then used lecture time for review & Q & A…" - Instructor of gateway Biology class

Incorporate additional opportunities for metacognitive learning, including brief writing assignments and peer feedback.

“...we've built in more daily writing exercises--in particular focusing on how to develop a thesis--to practice the fundamental building blocks of argumentation and analysis." - Instructor of Reading & Composition class
"I found that students really enjoyed group work, and felt less comfortable talking in front of the whole class, so I did a lot of group work. I think this took at a gate of their desire to be social again, and it felt like the classroom became a supportive community." - Instructor of Reading & Composition class
"I assign less reading, now. They seem to be actually pretty good at understanding the reading. It’s their writing skills that are really concerning and markedly different from when I taught before the pandemic. So we do a lot more in class writing exercises and instead of reading journals, I now have them turn in parts of their essays early for peer review or for me to look at. " - Instructor of Reading & Composition class

Offer additional opportunities for instructor-student interactions, such as additional office hours and timely communications via email. When possible, units sponsored tutors at the Student Learning Center.

"We have been soliciting questions from students about areas of confusion during lecture and covering these topics specifically during a weekly review session." - Instructor in a gateway Chemistry class
"I use piazza and answer many questions that way..." - Instructor in gateway Math class

Flexible Instructional Strategies to Meet Students Where They Are

Design Self-Assessment Activities

Prioritize Depth Over Breadth

Revise Your Evaluation Tool

Collect Student Feedback

Explore Strategies Suggested By Berkeley Faculty