Student development & the course climate

What you can do in the classroom

Examples

Create a productive learning climate and support student development

Make uncertainty safe and resist the temptation for a single right answer by validating different viewpoints, avoiding over-simplification, and reinforcing that a key purpose of discussion is not consensus but to enrich thinking.
Facilitate active listening by having students paraphrase what someone else said, and checking-in about interpretations.
Establish and reinforce ground rules for interaction to create an inclusive and respectful environment. You might even include students in the development of rules or standards of behavior for your classroom.
Don’t ask an individual to be a spokesperson for a group (e.g., race, generation, nationality).

Adapted from How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching (2010, Ambrose et al.)

Download a pdf of all 7 principles, including ideas for classroom implementation.