How things end matters. In the 1990’s, psychologist Daniel Kahneman and colleagues published several studies on perceptions of pain. In one study, participants immersed one hand in cold water twice, with one trial involving an abrupt end and the other trial involving a gradual rewarming of the water at the end. They found the latter trial was preferred by participants, leading them to conclude that “retrospective evaluations of aversive experiences … are often dominated by the discomfort at the worst and at the final moments of episodes.” In another study, they assessed patients’ memories of painful medical procedures (specifically lithotripsies and colonoscopies) and reported that “patients’ memories largely reflect the intensity of pain at the worst part and at the final part of the experience.” These and other studies contributed to what is now known as the “peak-end rule” heuristic, with the basic idea being that by concluding an experience positively, overall memories of the experience are more positive.
Hopefully your courses were not adverse experiences for your students – and even if they had their ups and downs, they were certainly not comparable to the cold water, lithotripsies and colonoscopies of Dr. Kahneman’s studies! But your courses likely had points of challenge for your students as they pushed to master new material and develop new skills. To help your students foster positive future recollections of your courses, your course materials and your teaching, you can draw on the lessons of the peak-end rule and take steps now to finish on a high note.
Here are nine ideas:
Identify and address learning gaps
As you approach the end of the semester, some students may have gaps in their understanding of the course material. This may be due to missed classes (for illness or other reasons) or misunderstandings of information and skills covered. You can use your remaining classes to help surface these gaps and address them. Try the following:
- Start classes by activating prior knowledge. As you introduce new course material in your remaining classes, ask students questions designed to activate their knowledge of prior course material. Such questions may be factual, opinion-based, or predictions/forecasts of outcomes and you can have students work individually or in groups to answer the questions. Asking students to draw on prior knowledge “helps students see the connections between previous learning and new instruction, builds on what students already know, provides a framework for learners to better understand new information and gives instructors formative assessment information to adapt instruction,” according to the centre for excellence in teaching and learning at Virginia Tech.
- Use exit slips to allow students to inform you of areas they feel weakest in. At the end of each class, devote five minutes to an anonymous exit slip activity in which students write down their responses to a prepared question. Questions to draw out learning gaps include “One thing from this course that I am uncertain about is…”, “I would like you to review the course content on …” and “Please explain more about…” As students leave the room, they hand the exit slips to you. You can then use these to inform future review sessions.
- Devote 10 minutes to review at the end of each class. Announce to your class that from now until the end of the semester, you will devote the final 10 minutes of the class to reviewing key ideas and topics students have self-identified (see exit slips idea above). This can be done instead of or in addition to a review of course material in the final class.
Consolidate course learning
Over the semester your students have been introduced to myriad new ideas, concepts, literatures and skills. As they approach the end of the term, it is valuable for them to see how the parts all fit together. You can use active learning activities in your remaining classes to help students make these connections. Try the following:
- Have students co-create study guides. Using Google Docs or another accessible shared platform, have students work in small groups to brainstorm and identify the key study areas for the upcoming final exam. Small groups can be themed by key topics covered in the class, with the resulting study guides available to all students in the course for review.
- Ask students to co-create mind maps of the course content. Using an accessible mind mapping platform, have students work in small groups to brainstorm and identify how different concepts and ideas covered in the course connect. Small groups can be themed by key topics covered in the class, with the resulting mind maps available to all students in the course for review.
- Have students co-create responses to the course learning outcomes. Your course syllabus likely lists several course outcomes. Using Google Docs or another accessible shared platform, have students work in small groups to identify and summarize how the course learning outcomes were addressed. Small groups can be themed around individual learning outcomes, with the resulting summaries available to all students in the course for review.
Connect course learning to students’ lives
Reflection activities challenge students to pause and assess the personal relevance of learning. While reflection exercises often get squeezed out of class time to allow time for more content. The English department at Purdue University states on their website: “reflection is an important practice for students to make sense of and grow from a learning experience, and it is a practice backed by scholarship.” You can use small pauses in your remaining classes to help students see the value of what they have learned in your course. Try the following:
- Conduct a series of “learning outcomes” reflection activities. One by one throughout your final classes, take five minutes to have students write their reflections on each of the learning outcomes. Possible reflection questions: “How does this learning outcome connect to my understanding of [discipline]?” or “How does mastery of this learning outcome prepare me for my future studies or work?”
- Ask students to connect course learning to their degree program. Your particular course undoubtedly connects to larger degree-level learning goals. In a single class, take five minutes to have students write their reflections on this connection. Possible reflection questions: “How do the content and skills covered in this course connect to my understanding of [discipline]?” or “How do the content and skills covered in this course prepare me for my future studies?”
- Encourage students to link course learning to their non-academic futures. Your course may directly or indirectly tie to students’ lives outside the university. In a single class, take five minutes to have students write their reflections on these linkages. Possible reflection questions: “How do the content and skills covered in this course connect to my role as a citizen/community member?” or “How do the content and skills covered in this course prepare me for my future career?”
By paying attention to the experience and tone of your final classes, you can help ensure your courses conclude positively.
Continuing the Skills Agenda conversation
What steps do you take to end your courses on a high note? Please let me know in the comments below. And for additional teaching, writing, and time management discussion, please check out my Substack blog, Academia Made Easier.
I look forward to hearing from you. Until next time, stay well, my colleagues.
