What a Difference a Day Makes: The First Day of Class

Authors

  • Colleen S. Kennedy The College of William and Mary Author
  • Joel D. Schwartz The College of William and Mary Author
  • R. Heather Macdonald The College of William and Mary Author

Abstract

The authors suggest that instructors devote the first day of class to teaching course content in a manner that models how they want students to engage that content. A survey of 86 faculty teaching content-based first-year seminars indicates that faculty who involve the students in some activity--discussion, writing, presentations--on the first day are more likely to use that activity frequently throughout the term and to be better satisfied with the quality of that activity at the end of the term. Examples given by faculty in the survey illustrate the variety of ways that instructors can use the first day of class effectively.

Published

2024-03-23