5. There were opportunities for useful interaction and engagement with other students in the subject​

Overview

Based on student feedback and a series of conversations with ABP subject coordinators, BEL+T has produced a set of Tactics for Encouraging Useful Peer-to-Peer Interaction and Engagement. The objective of this process was to identify the characteristics that students attribute to subjects with productive peer-to-peer engagement to inform teaching practices. In addition to student commentary, the following guidance includes tactics used by subject coordinators as well as things to consider for their application. Access the PDF version here.

ABP student voices described the qualities associated with useful interaction and engagement with other students as:

1. Inclusive – Opportunities to interact are designed to fit within, and contribute to, a supportive learning environment.
2. Motivating – Interaction is made effective by employing approaches that support learning engagement and belonging.
3. Directed – Informed by a collective approach, whereby the teaching team shares a common understanding of how interaction supports broader subject aims.

Note: The third theme ‘Directed’ was not explicitly articulated by student comments in the ESS. Rather, through engagement with staff, it became clear that this kind of ‘behind-the-scenes’ activity helped teaching teams to be more intentional about how they might achieve the first two themes of ‘Inclusive’ and ‘Motivating’.

The student quotes included in this guide were generated using artificial intelligence, based on submitted student comments from the ESS survey. These original comments were uploaded to a secure University of Melbourne AI chatbot, which processed and returned similar but anonymised quotes to preserve confidentiality but maintain the focus and intention of the original.  All outputs were reviewed for language and consistency with the original by a member of BEL+T.

Inclusive

Opportunities to interact are designed to fit within, and contribute to, a supportive learning environment.

Tactic 1 - Fostering a welcoming and safe environment conducive to peer-to-peer interaction

Examples:

• LMS-based subject- and tutorial-level discussion boards to encourage asynchronous peer interaction
• Creation of informal ‘sub-cohorts’ to scale down interaction
• Students who rely on reading and/or referring to notes are encouraged
• Easy ‘warm-up’ questions designed to instigate a lively discussion or debate
• Expectations of behaviours integrated into the curriculum, including provision of clear guidance to students on how to communicate respectfully
• Introductory activity related to topic (e.g., their favourite building) for students to get to know one another.

Things to consider:

• Consider how overtly to encourage students to engage in discussion
• Attendance levels will impact the opportunities and quality of interaction between students
• Cultivating a safe and comfortable atmosphere can also encourage informal interaction amongst students
• Be aware of how individual students might react to being called upon
• Student familiarity with one another will vary by program level (e.g., first-year students may not know anyone within their cohort).

Tactic 2 - Celebrating and remaining attentive to all student voices

Examples:

• Soliciting feedback from students over the semester, and being responsive to differing levels of engagement
• Students encouraged to share their own knowledge with peers to cultivate a socially constructed learning experience
• Conscious effort made to highlight diverse and relevant life experiences
• Two ‘layers’ of interaction (e.g., a live discussion and then a reflection) can encourage engagement from a range of voices.

Things to consider:

• Balancing various voices can be tricky! Sometimes efforts to manage interaction can create further engagement issues
• Consider making yourself available after intense and dynamic discussion sessions where students may feel vulnerable and wish to touch base
• Staff should be prepared to step in when conversations have strayed from being respectful

Tactic 3 - Using interaction to promote engagement with diverse perspectives

Examples:

• Tutorial activities designed to allow students to rotate and interact with all peers
• Readings included from multiple perspectives (e.g., Western/Indigenous/ Global South) as a way to foster diverse engagement
• Weekly changes to tutorial format (formative text, drawing, site visits), each associated with different form of interaction

Things to consider:

• Consider the most effective ways of addressing language barriers
• Consider how to encourage equitable participation across the cohort
• Group work can be an effective way for students to encounter diverse perspectives—with implications for group formation/composition.

Tactic 4 - Advancing a shared language to encourage effective interaction

Examples:

• Drawing or other non-verbal modes of interaction encouraged (e.g., ‘silent crits’ using comments via post-it notes), rather than always relying on discussion
• Tasks that encourage interaction and working together through a spatial lens

Things to consider:

• Effective interactions are facilitated through a shared ‘language’ that all participants have access to, equipping all students with the capacity to communicate with peers.

Tactic 5 - Encouraging student agency through peer-to-peer interaction

Examples:

• Opportunities for student-led discussions or session facilitation
• Identification of thematic connections enable creation of informal study groups
• Students invited to select case studies that will fuel discussion with peers

Things to consider:

• Be aware that some students may not be as confident in leading interactive activities
• Consider tutorial facilitation as an option, framed as ‘showing up for each other’
• Students will have differing levels of confidence in asserting their opinions, and careful consideration should be taken to ensure all students are afforded the opportunity to voice them.

Motivating

Interaction is made effective by employing approaches that support learning engagement and belonging.

Tactic 1 - Employing strategies to facilitate interaction

Examples:

• Required preparatory and/or reflective activities (e.g., on Canvas) used to promote an effective pattern of interaction
• Collaborative activities designed to build momentum to engagement (e.g. simple tasks to develop relationships near the beginning of the semester)
• Intent of interactive activities discussed and demonstrated by modelling interactive approaches
• Expectations of peer-to-peer tasks clarified through preparation requirements, intended outcomes, communication protocols, communicated clearly to students well ahead of the scheduled event
• Online platforms (e.g., whiteboard) used to facilitate interaction and engagement by sharing information related to the task at hand.

Things to consider:

• Plan ahead to allow time for discussion, with plenty of flexibility
• Students are very likely contacting each other outside of class and engaging in informal interaction; consider how to build on this.

Tactic 2 - Explicitly aligning interactive activities to other elements of the subject learning experience (e.g., delivered content, assessment tasks, etc.)

Examples:

• Artefacts or models (or even guests) used to focus interaction
• Roleplaying (e.g., stakeholders) as a form of peer-to-peer interaction
• Site visits, learning on Country as a setting conducive to interaction
• Use of timetabled lecture to facilitate a student debate or panel related to subject material
• Interactive activities as scaffolding that build skills towards assessment.

Things to consider:

• Be aware of structural barriers (e.g., timetable) for organising interactive opportunities
• Consider demonstrating the value of interaction (including peer feedback and collaboration) for professional skill development.

Tactic 3 - Foregrounding interactive elements of peer feedback and group work

Examples:

• Discussion board or social annotation activities with weighting that encourages interaction (and promote notion of peer support)
• Informal desk crit sessions for students to provide low-stakes feedback to one another
• In-class time allocated to work on group projects, especially at the beginning to help develop scope, identify roles and responsibilities, establish shared objectives, etc.
• Group project broken down into tasks, each with a focus on interactive elements and not just the submitted output.

Things to consider:

• Shared tasks can promote interaction, but be aware of language barriers
• Be aware of power dynamics between students and their range of skills related to evaluating one another effectively
• Consider using a ‘group charter’ to set objectives related to peer engagement and interaction, with focus on positive dynamics
• Peer review can be a way of promoting confidence by allowing students to articulate their expertise
• Some students may feel anxious about interaction being assessed
• It may be necessary to articulate the value of peer feedback or group work for student ‘buy-in’.

Directed

The teaching strategy is based by a collective approach, where all members of the teaching team share a common understanding of how interaction supports broader subject aims.

Tactic 1 - Setting up processes to ensure consistency across tutorials

Examples:

• Use of tutor briefing sessions to share teaching practices related to interaction (e.g., how to draw out quieter students, strategies for inclusion) and establish shared protocols
• Tutorial plans that situate interaction in the context of other activities and guide tutors on the appropriate length of time spent on each activity
• Interactive activities collaboratively designed across the teaching team.

Things to consider:

• Amount of direction and structure needed may differ between levels/programs
• Consider varying tutor skillsets regarding facilitation of interaction
• Not all interaction activities require pre-scheduling; consider providing autonomy for tutors to determine ‘on the fly’ the most effective time for opportunities
• Consider time and budget for tutor training and resources
• Be careful to balance personal teaching style with the need for consistency (noting that tutors ‘being themselves’ can promote a supportive learning environment).

Tactic 2 - Establishing shared objectives and values related to interaction

Examples:

• Tutors encouraged to not be the sole/authoritative voice in tutorials (i.e., noting the different teaching roles in lecture vs tutorial format)
• Compassionate practices demonstrated to tutors by checking in regularly and providing opportunities for discussing issues
• Interactive activities designed to align with subject content, while affording opportunities to demonstrate the subject’s intended learning outcomes and generic skills.

Things to consider:

• Teaching style may influence student responses to peer interaction (i.e., by encouraging or discouraging engagement).

Tactic 3 - Developing mechanisms for accountability

Examples:

• Tutor capacity designed to increase over time (e.g., through peer feedback between tutors, regular check-ins, etc.).

Things to consider:

• Consider the most appropriate and effective forms of feedback to evaluate teaching quality across tutorials, including whether (and when) to observe tutorials.