{"id":292066,"date":"2024-02-29T12:41:50","date_gmt":"2024-02-29T12:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clarivate.com\/academia-government\/blog\/your-students-dont-know-how-to-re-engage\/"},"modified":"2024-02-29T12:41:50","modified_gmt":"2024-02-29T12:41:50","slug":"your-students-dont-know-how-to-re-engage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clarivate.com\/academia-government\/blog\/your-students-dont-know-how-to-re-engage\/","title":{"rendered":"Your students don\u2019t know how to re-engage"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new playbook shows how the library can bring the spark back to world-weary universities<\/em><\/p>\n

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Adjusting to the pandemic was a challenge for nearly everyone, as the world changed literally over the course of a few days. In the academic world, learning suffered as students shifted from in-person to remote classrooms. In the U.K., 74% of university students reported that Covid-19 had a negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing. In the U.S., a report<\/a> from the CDC noted two-thirds of students found it difficult to complete their schoolwork.<\/p>\n

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As it turns out, returning to \u201cnormal\u201d college life post-pandemic isn\u2019t easy either. According to a survey<\/a> conducted by Times Higher Education, 76% of faculty have seen lower numbers of students showing up for class. Among those who do turn up, faculty report startling levels of disengagement.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMore than a few of my students exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress disorder,\u201d<\/strong> writes Steven Mintz, Professor of History at University of Texas at Austin, in an article<\/a> for Inside Higher Ed. \u201cMany more show symptoms of cognitive detachment and have disconnected mentally and emotionally from their schoolwork and often their classmates.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A 2022 survey<\/a> confirms their reports: 55% of undergraduate and 38% of graduate students said they find it difficult to remain interested in their classes and have trouble retaining the material they learn.<\/p>\n

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While many universities offer guidance and empathy to students who are struggling, the challenge to re-engage students in their studies falls largely on the shoulders of faculty.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Carrying the weight of a significant demand <\/strong><\/p>\n

Tending to the needs of disengaged students is exhausting for an already exhausted group: faculty. A survey<\/a> by the Healthy Minds Network found that 64% of faculty feel \u201cburned out because of work.\u201d Not surprisingly, burnout at four-year institutions, where faculty balance research with teaching, is significantly higher (69%) than at community colleges (57%).<\/p>\n

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The survey also reveals the impact student disengagement has taken on faculty. More than 70% of respondents reported having \u201chad one-on-one conversation\/s with a student about their mental or emotional health in the past year.\u201d\u00a0Nearly half of faculty said that supporting student emotional needs took a toll on their own mental health.<\/p>\n

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Reddit subgroups for faculty reveal the added pressure of trying to engage students. Posters bristle about the \u201chelpful\u201d advice to engage students that range from superhuman \u2013 \u201cspend time 1:1 with every student\u201d \u2013 to the vague or superficial \u2013 \u201cdon\u2019t be boring,\u201d and \u201ctell some jokes to spice up your lectures.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Importantly, most faculty remain optimistic about their roles. According to the Healthy Minds Network survey two-thirds of faculty are satisfied with their jobs and nearly 90% feel \u201cconfident and capable.\u201d<\/p>\n

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If that\u2019s the case, then what faculty need is support and concrete ways to re-invigorate student interest.<\/p>\n

So, what are<\/em> students passionate about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A number of surveys<\/a> suggest that the solution to energizing students about their studies is to relate learning to things they care about. An obvious choice might be to connect classroom work to real-world career experiences. But that advice comes with a caveat: there\u2019s been a dramatic rise<\/a> in the percentage of students who are unsure of their career choice: from 9% in 2021 to 22% in 2022.<\/p>\n

Further, faculty don\u2019t always guess correctly about what drives career choices. The same survey that revealed ambivalence about careers, showed a disconnect between faculty beliefs about students\u2019 career choices (they want high incomes) and students\u2019 actual aspirations (they want to make a positive difference).<\/p>\n

Faculty need help in assessing what\u2019s important to students and that\u2019s where the library can step in.<\/p>\n

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How can the library actively enrich the teaching and learning experience? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Libraries are in a unique position to support faculty in finding this answer and supporting the university students. They are the core of the university \u2013 the heart of research, teaching and learning \u2013 with the power to reach virtually every student and faculty member.<\/p>\n

Ex Libris integrated library system<\/a>, part of Clarivate is providing a free playbook<\/a> that shows how librarians can leverage that central role to identify, shape and promote engagement opportunities.<\/p>\n

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The playbook includes a four-step plan that helps librarians:<\/p>\n