Fostering approachability and classroom participation during the first day of class

Abstract

Students and faculty often have different goals for the first day of class. While teaching advice books recommend actively engaging students in the course from the start, students often `shop' for classes and report being primarily concerned with gathering practical information. The aim of this article is to introduce a reciprocal interview activity that attempts to achieve both goals by creating a dynamic conversation in which the instructor inquires about the students' goals and expectations and, in turn, the students collectively interview the instructor about his or her goals and expectations. Preliminary findings indicate that students evaluate the activity favorably and feel more comfortable participating in class and more comfortable approaching the instructor about class-related and non-class-related issues after the activity. Additional benefits and uses for both students and instructors are discussed.