How can you get students to connect more deeply with your course’s learning objectives, especially when you have students who are feeling disengaged with the topic?
Educator and author Christina Katopodis recommends having students assign themselves one or two personal learning objectives in addition to the course’s predetermined learning goals. This can help students reflect on the course’s purpose and discover a personal interest in the material. You can leave a blank space on your syllabus for students to write in their learning goal, and they can return to that question throughout the semester to choose topics or reflect on the course material.