Author: Gabrielle Likavec – Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support
We all put a lot of thought into how we start our classes: developing a syllabus that lays out policies, designing assignments, and preparing lectures or activities to engage student interest. But a prime opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous strides you and your students have made is often lost in the end-of-semester mad dash to check all the boxes: shove the remaining content into student’s brains, provide final exam reviews, read drafts of papers, all while encouraging students to fill out the end-of-course surveys, ordering your books for next semester and submitting that last research proposal. Of course, you should always end the semester in a way that works best for you, but the ideas below may help bring a more satisfying end to the journey for you and your students.
Return to Student Learning Outcomes
Ask students to look back at the course outcomes outlined in the syllabus. Can they (and you) describe how those outcomes have been met? What assignments support each outcome, and where must they be revisited to prepare for final exams or assignments? When done as part of a low-stakes assignment, this can also be a wonderful way to encourage student metacognition before final exams or projects, which can enhance learning achievement (Chekwa et al., 2015; Ohtani & Hisasaka, 2018; Valencia-Vallejo et al., 2019). Ask students to articulate what they have learned, what they would do differently, and how they have contributed to the class. You can also design culminating assignments that ask students to revisit and revise earlier work, focusing on how they connect to the learning outcomes. You might consider including a low-stakes assignment asking students to identify which previous assignments assessed which learning outcomes as found in the syllabus. Or, create a discussion forum that invites students to share their most important takeaways from the course and say goodbye to their peers.
Illustrate Connections to Student Lives and Future Plans
Connections between coursework and students’ lives have been shown to improve students’ perception of and motivation for classes (Fedesco et al., 2017; Kember et al., 2008). While an important consideration throughout the semester, the last weeks are an ideal time to explicitly discuss how your course content will affect students in the future, either in their daily lives or careers. This is also a great time to share opportunities for further study, internships, or research both externally and within CMU.
Compile Your Success
Before students leave, consider any artifacts you may want to collect for use in portfolios or as exemplars in future classes. You will need to ask for written permission to use this work; it is always easier to do that before they have scattered. Your success also includes robust student feedback, so this is the time to encourage students to complete the end-of-course survey. To encourage students to complete the survey, be sure to discuss with students the role of feedback and share how it has influenced your teaching practice or course design. Assure students that results are anonymous and only viewable after the course grade deadline. You can also consider leaving the room early and offering students time to complete the survey in class. After the semester, review your results and decide what to incorporate into future instruction.
Bringing Closure
Whether you have worked with these students for a semester or their entire program, it is not unusual to feel a sense of loss (and relief) at the end of the semester. Although it can feel awkward, providing closure is important to create a positive ending to the journey you have taken with your students. Use that last class to share concluding remarks that give context to the course and thank the class for their participation. For example, post an announcement noticing and thanking students for their hard work throughout the course. Include parting words of wisdom, such as how major concepts apply beyond the course, and be sure to remind students of their accomplishments in committing to and completing the course.
Let students know that you appreciate or are proud of what they did. Ask any questions you might have about what went well and what you might need to change. If appropriate, provide them with ways to stay connected or how to ask for letters of recommendation. Finally, share when they can expect final grades and when to contact you with concerns.
Revisit Your Planning
Once you have said your goodbyes and grades are submitted, take the time to revisit the course while it is fresh in your mind. Take an objective look at students’ patterns of work to see which assignments engaged their interest and had the intended outcomes. Are there student learning outcomes that students were not able to demonstrate? What lectures were effective, and which ones fell short? Did student feedback reflect what you expected, or do you need to change and adapt for the next semester? You do not have to make these changes immediately, but recording your ideas while they are fresh will help you start next semester’s preparation with a game plan and ideas.
Lastly, look at the resources available from the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support and future CIS Events offerings as you begin to think about your next semester(s) of teaching. When you are ready to start planning, let us know how we can support your next course offering.
And just in case you do not hear it elsewhere, thank you for your work. Thank you for finding ways to engage students and promote their success.
References
Chekwa, E., McFadden, M., Divine, A., & Dorius, T. (2015). Metacognition: Transforming the learning experience. Journal of Learning in Higher Education, 11(1), 109–112.
Fedesco, H. N., Kentner, A., & Natt, J. (2017). The effect of relevance strategies on student perceptions of introductory courses. Communication Education, 66(2), 196–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2016.1268697
Kember, D., Ho, A., & Hong, C. (2008). The importance of establishing relevance in motivating student learning. Active Learning in Higher Education, 9(3), 249–263. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787408095849
Ohtani, K., & Hisasaka, T. (2018). Beyond intelligence: A meta-analytic review of the relationship among metacognition, intelligence, and academic performance. Metacognition and Learning, 13(2), 179–212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11409-018-9183-8