FRC Resources

Strategy Description

Normalizing the Experience of Academic Challenges

Normalize experiencing academic challenges by encouraging students to openly discuss what they find difficult about academic life.

Example Application

This strategy was implemented by Professor Monica Cammack (Librarian) in Module 2: Introduction to College Research and Module 3: Advanced Research Skills.

Purpose & Desired Impact

Recognizing that research can be challenging, a slide at the start of each lesson highlighting common difficulties can help students understand that their struggles are shared. As students come to seek research help, some may seem self-conscious about admitting their struggles with conducting research for their assignments. The aim for this strategy is to foster a sense of connection and belonging by highlighting their shared experiences with the research process.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Cammack was inspired by the book Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides by Geoffrey L. Cohen.

Examples of Class Activities

• Focus class time on scaffolding for a game at the end of the semester—a sort of exit ticket from the class.
• Modify well-known board games to teach a concept (Monopoly, for example, can be modified in all kinds of ways) and spend only part of a class playing it.
• Modify a case study so that it becomes a simulation instead.

Key Insights from Implementation

If students struggle with a concept or assignment, acknowledge it and offer encouragement. This can significantly improve the learning experience. As an example, reviewing the common struggles with research along with solutions that have helped other students can be encouraging and motivational to students.

Tips for Implementing this Strategy

For faculty considering this strategy, Prof. Cammack recommends:

• Letting students know the lesson that is covered will address solutions to common struggles and help make the process of learning that skill less intimidating.

Additional Resources

Prof. Cammack shared the following resources:

• Research Struggles Module Slide (PDF)

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Cammack at monica.a.cammack@lonestar.edu or 936-273-7487.

Strategy Description

Make Office Hours More Inviting for Students

Foster a sense of belonging in the classroom by replacing the traditional term “Office Hours” with “Student Meeting Time” to make visiting the instructor and seeking help less intimidating for students.

Example Application

This strategy was applied by Professor Naomi Fernandez in English 1301: Composition and Rhetoric.

Purpose & Desired Impact

The purpose of this strategy is to make office hours more inviting for students to talk to the professor about their issues and needs. Research indicates students are more successful if they attend their professors’ office hours, though students rarely willingly come to office hours to talk or ask for help. The desired impact is to make the course office hours more inviting by initiating conversations with students and help to reveal these “hidden curricular” skills that students are still developing.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Fernandez was inspired by the text Belonging by Geoffrey Cohen, The Secret Syllabus by Jay Phelan and Terry Burnham, and the article “Re-envisioning Office Hours to Increase Participation and Engagement” by Benaduce and Brinn.

Key Insights from Implementation

If possible, schedule “student meeting times” in the classroom after class. The classroom is perceived as the students’ “room” and can be less intimidating than visiting the professor’s office. When speaking to students about their questions or issues, professors can initiate other topics of conversation to engage students and get them to open up. Topics can include career interests, time management, and mental health struggles, to name a few. Student meeting hours are beneficial for the student and the instructor.

This strategy can be implemented online as well. Invite students to attend an online orientation. This can help students learn about the class, how to navigate the online learning management system, and learn a bit about the instructor. Allow two sessions to choose from and keep the sessions to 30 minutes to make it achievable for busy online students. Time can be extended if there are questions.

Tips for Implementing this Strategy

For faculty considering this strategy, Prof. Fernandez recommends:

• Leading the students to visit during office hours by intentionally inviting them to a conversation or group meeting. Choosing a topic for such a discussion should be targeted to the individual(s) and not those that should be shared with the whole class during normal class time.
• Target discussions and extend invitations to specific students who you know need help.

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Fernandez at naomi.r.fernandez@lonestar.edu or 936-271-6151.

Strategy Description

Implementing a Values-Affirmation Activity in Class

Administering Geoffrey Cohen’s Values-Affirmation activities to allow students to express personal values in the classroom to counter the negative effects of stereotype threat.

Example Application

This strategy was implemented by Professor Joanne Gonzalez in English 1301: Composition and Rhetoric I and English 1302: Composition and Rhetoric II.

Purpose & Desired Impact

The purpose of this strategy is to foster a sense of belonging by allowing students to express personal values in the classroom to counter the negative effects of stereotype threat. Geoffrey Cohen stresses the importance of students feeling their responses are valued.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Gonzalez was inspired by Geoffrey Cohen’s text Belonging, in which he explains the purpose of the activities and surveys, as well as implementation.

Key Insights from Implementation

While the concept of values-affirmation to foster a sense of belonging can be beneficial, Professor Gonzalez shares that students may reveal personal information that faculty may feel uncomfortable knowing. Cohen stresses it is important the students feel their responses are valued, and this cannot be implemented lightly.

Tips for Implementing this Strategy

For faculty considering this strategy, Prof. Gonzalez recommends:

• Faculty should familiarize themselves with Cohen’s guidance before deploying activities or surveys as they can backfire if done improperly.
• Understanding there is a lot of textual data to crunch from the results of the surveys.
• Faculty should spend additional time administering the values-affirmation activity.

Additional Resources

Prof. Gonzalez shared the following resources:

• Converted the values-affirmation activity to a Microsoft Form (Web)
• Converted the belonging surveys to a single Microsoft Form (Web)

NOTE: Faculty will need to duplicate the form, remove her contact information, and add their own.

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Gonzalez at joanne.gonzalez@lonestar.edu.

Strategy Description

Cultivate Student Connections on Campus to Support Belonging

Help students foster relationships on campus by integrating tasks that encourage students to reflect on and cultivate connections with peers, professors, and staff into the course content, including resources and learning activities. Students read a section from the e-book entitled Connections are Everything (available for free via by Project Muse). Students then wrote a collaborative essay with a small group of their classmates.

Example Application

This strategy was implemented by Professor Lori Hughes in English 1302: Composition and Rhetoric II.

Purpose & Desired Impact

The purpose of this strategy is to help students recognize and participate in making connections with others in college to support their overall sense of belonging, recognize the various campus support options available to them, and support not only their academic skills development, but also help them to engage effectively with their classmates.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Hughes was inspired by:

• The chapters "Managing Productive Groups” and “Coordinating Experiential Learning Experiences” in Zakrajsek & Nilson’s text Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors.
• Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success" in College by Peter Felten and Leo Lambert was helpful at providing context for mentoring conversations.
• Ideas for classroom activities were inspired by Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty 2nd edition by Elizabeth Barkley and Claire Howell Major, particularly the chapter on “Knowledge, Skills, Recall, and Understanding.”

Examples of Class Activities

• Inviting a guest speaker or two from Student Support Services can help students hear from different perspectives about connections in college and have a chance to ask questions and engage in dialogue.
• Students can divide into groups depending on the area of the text they most want to study further. Questions can be distributed by professor that prompt conversation. Each group designs a visual summary of a poster or other artifact they then share with the whole class.
• Visiting different resources on campus and encouraging students to conduct site visit research and reflective journaling.

Key Insights from Implementation

Students may be hesitant to form groups on their own, so it is essential to offer several opportunities for team building and engagement activities within the first two weeks of the semester. Students also need to feel comfortable experiencing the various stages of collaboration and have a space where they can post their reflections and experiences to the professor along the way.

Tips for Implementing this Strategy

For faculty considering this strategy, Prof. Hughes recommends:

• Start this project early in the semester (within the first three weeks of a longer semester) so the students can have sufficient time to read, reflect, and research.
• Schedule guest visits early and build them in the calendar.
• Modeling an interview is helpful for those students who have not conducted an interview or a site visit. Providing guiding questions to generate open-ended conversation would be helpful.
• Meet regularly with each group and ask for a series of deliverables at each meeting. This can help to keep the groups on task.
• Try to let the groups manage their own projects and offer minimal intervention.

Additional Resources

Prof. Hughes shared the following resource:

• Example Writing Assignment (PDF)

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Hughes at lori.r.hughes@lonestar.edu or 936-273-7005.

Strategy Description

Reinforcing Skills and Concepts from EDUC 1300 in Course Content

Help students develop academic skills and interdisciplinary connections by reinforcing the skills and concepts they learned in EDUC 1300 to the course content.

Example Application

This strategy was developed by Professor Joseph Ferguson and designed to be implemented across all courses.

Purpose & Desired Impact

The purpose of this strategy is to coordinate with colleagues from multiple disciplines to plan how to implement EDUC 1300 skills across the curriculum. The skills students acquire in EDUC 1300 are highly transferable to all other courses, and some colleagues might be unaware of this potential.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Ferguson interviewed five colleagues who teach different disciplines (English, Government. History, Math, and Psychology).

Examples of Class Activities

• Reinforcing the EDUC 1300 core objectives of Critical Thinking, Communication Skills, and Personal Responsibility.
• Review the course themes and topics of EDUC 1300 including Making Connections with LSC; Personal and Professional Growth; and Effective Learning
• Review students’ Smarter Measures “AchieveWorks Personality profile analysis reports

Key Insights from Implementation

The course description for EDUC 1300 is “A study of the research and theory in the psychology of learning, cognition, and motivation; factors that impact learning, and application of learning strategies. Theoretical models of strategic learning, cognition, and motivation serve as the conceptual basis for the introduction of college-level student academic strategies. Students use assessment instruments (e.g., learning inventories) to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses as strategic learners. Students are ultimately expected to integrate and apply the learning skills discussed across their academic programs and become effective and efficient learners. Students developing these skills should be able to continually draw from the theoretical models they have learned.”

The Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for EDUC 1300 are as follows:

• Students in the college success course will be able to identify, describe, and utilize campus support services, systems, and student life opportunities.
• Students in the college success course will be able to use financial literacy knowledge and skills to create a personal money management plan for college success.
• Students in the college success course will be able to establish collegial relationships with LSC faculty, staff, and peers.
• Students in the college success course will be able to assess and report on their strengths, preferences, and college and career success attributes.
• Students in the college success course will be able to formulate educational and career goals and apply strategies to advance their goals and college performance.
• Students in the college success course will be able to create an academic plan and identify the requirements for successful completion of their academic plan.

Additional Resources

Prof. Ferguson shared the following resource:

• EDUC 1300 Across the Curriculum (PPT)

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Ferguson at joseph.m.ferguson@lonestar.edu or 936-271-6232.

Strategy Description

Integrating Real-World Experiences and Inquiry-Guided Approach to Course Curriculum

Use real-world experiences and an inquiry-guided approach by organizing a guest speaker session and integrating an ethics-focused learning activity.

Example Application

This strategy was implemented by Professor Antone Fotsue in Accounting 2301, Principles of Financial Accounting.

Purpose & Desired Impact

The purpose of this strategy is to help students see the real-world relevance of financial accounting and to foster critical thinking about ethical decision-making in the business world. By connecting course content to practical financial literacy and real-life corporate scandals, he aimed to deepen their engagement and prepare them for both professional and personal financial responsibility.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Fotsue was inspired by the chapter "Creating Engaging Cases” in Zakrajsek & Nilson’s text Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors.

He also used Khan Academy’s personal finance series to support the guest speaker session and drew inspiration from articles published by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) on ethics in accounting and resources from the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) to guide content on financial literacy.

Key Insights from Implementation

A key lesson learned is that students are highly receptive to real-world applications of what they are learning—especially when it involves topics that directly impact their lives, like personal finance and ethical decision-making. Inviting a guest speaker added a layer of authenticity and helped spark meaningful discussions that extended beyond the textbook.

Working in groups allowed students to share their viewpoints and approaches to problem-solving that enhanced their understanding of the materials. In addition, he encourages brainstorming and creative problem-solving among students as they build on each other’s ideas.

Tips for Implementing this Strategy

For faculty considering this strategy, Prof. Fotsue recommends:

• Collaborating with professionals in the field early to secure guest speakers who align with the course objectives.
• Providing guiding questions or a brief activity beforehand so students are better prepared to engage during the session.
• Using multimedia resources (videos, articles, case studies) to make abstract or complex concepts more accessible and relatable.
• Encouraging reflection through short writing assignments, which helps students personalize and internalize the material.
• Be flexible and open to student feedback; it can help shape future sessions to be even more impactful.

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Fernandez at antone.fotsue@lonestar.edu or 936-273-7448.

Strategy Description

Segmenting Class Activities in 15-Min Intervals

Organize lecture and learning activities into 15-minute increments to keep students focused and engaged.

Example Application

This strategy was implemented by Professor Gloria Kessler in DAAC 1303: Ethics for Social Service Professionals.

Purpose & Desired Impact

The purpose of this strategy is to incorporate more activities such as videos, critical thinking segments, etc) every 15 minutes of class. In addition, including the use of emojis on the screen prepares students for critical thinking time. Research indicates that attention spans of students have changed from 45 minutes to 15 minutes. The need for shorter increments of time keeps students more focused and engaged.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Kessler was inspired by Zakrajsek & Nilson’s text Teaching at it's Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors. In addition, she attended a campus training session led by Dr. Zakrajsek.

Key Insights from Implementation

Professor Kessler observed students to prove the theory of providing 15-minute incremental session content can help keep them focused and engaged.

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Kessler at gloria.e.kessler@lonestar.edu.

Strategy Description

Implementing Group Quizzes

Support students in reinforcing course content, developing collaborative problem-solving skills, and increasing engagement through peer interaction and formative assessment. Group quizzes can serve as low-stakes assessments to review key concepts, spark meaningful discussion, and promote peer-to-peer learning.

Example Application

This strategy was implemented by Professor Krystal Kidder in RADR 1313: Principles of Radiographic Imaging.

Purpose & Desired Impact

The goal of this strategy is to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and a sense of belonging through peer instruction. It provides opportunities for immediate feedback and helps address misconceptions as students discuss different answers and justify their reasoning. This process supports deeper understanding through dialogue and explanation, while also helping students develop the ability to interpret questions accurately and construct well-informed responses based on their knowledge.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Kidder was inspired by a June 2022 article by I. Kiderra entitled “Short Group Quizzes Go a Long Way to Building a Class Community” and "Including Critical Thinking into a Course Design” in Zakrajsek & Nilson’s text Teaching at it's Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors.

Examples of Class Activities

• Place one question at a time on the board. Have each group of students choose an answer and come to a consensus on information to support that answer.
• Walk around and listen to students as they discuss their reasonings and check on answers. (students will answer the question on paper and place it where the instructor can view it) Do not discuss the correct answers with the groups at this point.
• Once all groups have selected an answer, initiate a discussion in which each group explains their choice and the evidence supporting it. This encourages students to consider multiple perspectives and deepen their understanding.
• Allow groups time to reflect on the supporting information shared by their peers, discuss whether they wish to revise their answers, and explain the reasoning behind any changes.
• Include an explanation of the correct answer along with a discussion of the reasoning behind its accuracy.

Key Insights from Implementation

Begin the semester with a group-building activity to establish a safe and supportive environment for sharing ideas. Assign students to predetermined groups initially and then adjust groupings throughout the semester to encourage more strategic collaboration. Students are often more engaged in discussions when they hear peers validating or building on their ideas.

Tips for Implementing this Strategy

For faculty considering this strategy, Prof. Kidder recommends:

• Set clear guidelines and expectations
• Questions should be written to encourage:
• Verbal reasoning
• Argument analysis
• Decision making and problem solving
• Scientific reasoning about likelihood and probability
• Focus on strategic team grouping .
• Meet regularly with each group and ask for a series of deliverables at each meeting. This can help to keep the groups on task.
• Rotate the students that work together to foster a larger build on community and understanding
• Implement more group quizzes often to check for understanding, clarification of misconceptions, and collaborative learning.

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Kidder at krystal.l.kidder@lonestar.edu or 936-273-7394.

Strategy Description

Student-Created Classroom Norms

Invite students to participate in drafting classroom norms that clearly state expectations for communication and participation to foster an inclusive and collaborative learning environment.

Example Application

This strategy was implemented by Professor Dana Morales in Government 2306: Texas Government.

Purpose & Desired Impact

The purpose of this strategy is to encourage collaboration and belonging by asking the class to collectively compile a list of class norms, focusing on behavioral norms, academic expectations, and interpersonal relations in class. The desired impact was to create a culture of belonging and ownership in the direction of the course and to see an improvement in retention and success.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Morales was inspired by Cornell’s resources on establishing community agreements and classroom norms.

Key Insights from Implementation

Students’ engagement was increased and there was marked improvement in class preparedness. Students were encouraged to rely on facts when making arguments and the norms should continue to be reinforced throughout the semester.

Tips for Implementing this Strategy

For faculty considering this strategy, Prof. Morales recommends: :

• Spending time working with the students on norms concerning class discussions.
• Help students understand they are free to voice their opinions, while also respecting the opinions of others.
• Encouraging students to rely on facts when making their arguments.
• Reinforce to students who may be intimidated at first that they have a voice and should not be afraid to speak up.

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Morales at dana.a.morales@lonestar.edu or 936-273-7391.

Strategy Description

Increasing Student Engagement with New Vocabulary

Incorporate interactive low-stakes vocabulary comprehension assessments to increase student engagement.

Example Application

This strategy was implemented by Professor Ashley Shell-Wilson in Psychology 2301, General Psychology.

Purpose & Desired Impact

The purpose of this strategy is to help students engage and interact with the new vocabulary terms they were learning. Prof. Wilson built interactive self-paced formative assessments in the learning management system for each chapter (like what one might see in a publisher’s paid add-on content such as McGraw Hill-Connect). The desired impact was increased student engagement with the course concepts.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Wilson was inspired by Zakrajsek & Nilson’s text Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors. She also was inspired by The Learning Scientists Podcast and the text Teaching Underprepared Students by Kathleen F. Gabriel.

Key Insights from Implementation

• Students reported these assessments were helpful and many students utilized them to study for exams.
• This can be a time-consuming commitment, so it is recommended faculty slowly build out the guided formative assessments and implement them once all chapters are completed. There may also be significant limitations in the design options within the learning management system.

Tips for Implementing this Strategy

For faculty considering this strategy, Prof. Wilson recommends:

• One option is to build out your questions with the quiz feature of D2L.
• Question styles that work best are multiple choice, matching, multi-select, and true/false.
• Set up recommendations: no time limit, unlimited attempts, auto-grade, and display all questions without correct answers.
• Untimed and unlimited attempts allow students to move through the questions at their desired pace and revisit questions that they did not get correct on their first attempt.
• This assessment is versatile and can be used in a variety of ways by students: it can be completed as they read the chapter prior to a class lecture, it can be completed as they are listening to the lecture in class, or it can be completed after they read the chapter or attend lecture to identify any gaps in their learning.
• Make sure students know to save their answers as they go and to submit the quiz upon completion. Some students open the quiz and answer the questions but do not save or submit which results in no record of their responses and no grade for the quiz.
• The “display all questions without correct answers” will allow students to utilize the questions for review as desired. Students can access the attempts via the grades tab in D2L to view the questions once submitted.
• Chunk related terminology or concepts together with the use of matching questions.

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Wilson at ashley.l.wilson@lonestar.edu.

Strategy Description

Increasing Student Engagement with Attention Grabbers

Incorporate active engagement components in class based on student feedback. They can be offered in different formats throughout the semester. Some class sessions the components could be a discussion or application-based prompt for the entire class, other times it can be an interactive activity, a video, worksheet, or small group discussion.

Example Application

This strategy was implemented by Professor Ashley Shell-Wilson in Psychology 2301, General Psychology.

Purpose & Desired Impact

The purpose of this strategy is to help increase student engagement during class meetings with the course materials. The attention grabbers/active engagement elements are presented in a variety of ways to include the entire class, small group, individual, peer-to-peer, and back and forth engagement between the students and professor within the class meeting. The type of engagement varies during the class meetings to include a combination of the following components: oral, written, kinesthetic, auditory, and visual engagement.

Resources that Informed the Strategy

Prof. Hughes was inspired by:

Prof. Wilson was inspired by Zakrajsek & Nilson’s text Teaching at its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors. She also was inspired by The Learning Scientists Podcast and the text Teaching Underprepared Students by Kathleen F. Gabriel.

Key Insights from Implementation

Students reported enjoying the active engagement elements of the course, saying they engaged more with their peers than they typically do in other courses. Guided worksheets and experiences helped students frame and work through complex course material and apply it to real-world scenarios.

Tips for Implementing this Strategy

For faculty considering this strategy, Prof. Wilson recommends:

• Consulting websites that offer pre-made and customizable templates to create engaging slide decks, worksheets, and more. Some examples include Slidestogo.com, slidescarnival.com, canva.com, and https://ditchthattextbook.com/resources/templates/.

Additional Resources

Prof. Wilson shared the following resources:

• Example Activity: Case Study (PDF)
• Example Activity: Getting to Know You (PDF)

For additional information or to discuss this project further, please contact Prof. Wilson at ashley.l.wilson@lonestar.edu.