A&S Teaching & Learning Community of Practice 2026-27: Engagement by Design: Badges, Lecture Recordings, and Student Feedback

This session features two presentations:

Using Badges to Foster In-Person Connection and Student Engagement

Presenter: Fabian Parsch, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Mathematics 

There have been a multitude of recent societal and technological changes that make it progressively more challenging to have personal connection and engagement in university courses. To address this issue, I am trying out a system of "badges" that students can achieve in my course. Students need to complete a certain number of them for a full grade, but they can pick and choose what works best for them. Examples are: Meeting a TA for a one-on-one feedback session; participating in a small group discussion with fellow students and the instructor about learning strategies; or completing a one-hour-phone-free challenge in class. In this talk, I will give an overview of how I implemented this badge system in a large (200+) undergraduate course in a resource-conscious way, while also sharing the successes and challenges that it produced. 

Live, Later, or Last Minute: Student Engagement with Lecture Recordings

Presenter: Nathalie Moon, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Statistical Sciences 

Lecture recordings are now a staple of university teaching, but how do students actually use them? In this talk, I will present findings from a study of an online synchronous statistics course, examining whether students engage consistently throughout the term or cram before assessments, and whether attendance patterns (live, same-week, or catch-up viewing) are associated with academic outcomes. I also explore students' self-reported reasons for their viewing choices, offering practical insights for course design that supports diverse student needs. 

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