Assessing Student Engagement: A Collaborative Curriculum for Large Lecture Discussion Sections

Abstract

This study investigated students’ engagement and learning in a large lecture journalism history course based on a revision of its discussion curriculum. The new curriculum incorporated visual media and facilitated collaborative learning in active learning classrooms. Surveys were administered to assess students’ perceptions of the course, including helpfulness of the discussion curriculum, engagement levels, writing self-efficacy, and satisfaction with the course. Performance scores, prior learning data, and demographic information were collected at the end of the semester. The results indicated that the revised curriculum affected students’ engagement in the course positively, contributing to students’ learning outcomes.