The concept of Just-In-Time teaching and academic support engages learners at the most fruitful point in their acquisition and assimilation of knowledge. Rather than simply focusing teaching and learning structures on what is being taught, instructors can use the structuring of Just-In-Time teaching and academic support to tailor classroom work and lesson plans to where learners are at and where they are going.

Students are given a complex assignment outside of class that correlates to the textbook or other reading materials provided to them. The students’ work is sent to the instructor a few hours before class time. Instructors then can assess what’s been turned in and change the day’s lessons and planning to meet students where they currently are at in the learning process.

This malleable and evolutionary approach to teaching and learning efficacy has many benefits that have been proven to lead to increased concept retention and more quality classroom interactions.

3 Different Pre-Class Assignments To Push Student Preparation And Engagement

There are three types of Just-In-Time teaching assignments that can be used to shape upcoming lessons and drive learner engagement – Puzzles, GoodFors, and WarmUps.

Puzzles are ways to loop back to concepts that have already been taught in class. These short, online assignments test where students are from a retention standpoint. That way, teachers can circle back effectively and really drive home key concepts from the previous lesson.

GoodFors are essay-based thinkpiece assignments that correlate upcoming and previous lesson content to real-world scenarios. Students are prompted to write about a subject in a way that connects it to things they see in their daily lives. This gets them to come to class with energy directed towards the subject matter and a fresh perspective.

WarmUps are a critical part of the Just-In-Time teaching process. These short assignments ask students a few targeted questions to gauge their current retention and standing in a certain subject area. Teachers can then use the students’ answers to change the emphasis of a lesson, build student workshops to meet key retention goals, and generally keep students engaged with the subject matter at hand.

What Are The Benefits Of Just-In-Time Teaching And Academic Support?

There are a few true key benefits to the Just-In-Time teaching and academic support approach that will drive learner engagement and retention.

The first key benefit is that it pushes students into a more fruitful active learning approach rather than passive knowledge acquisition and retention. By fine-tuning lessons to meet them where they are and getting students to work together to hash out the problems they’re all having, you keep students engaged and you get them thinking when they may not otherwise.

Furthermore, this approach gets students to access their prior knowledge bases and use what they already know to learn new concepts. By constantly assessing what they know and where they’re at, you can build a course that effectively bridges the gap and gets them moving forward.

Concluding Thoughts

Just-In-Time teaching and academic support allow instructors to give timely feedback when students need it most. Rather than blowing through material and concepts and hoping they’ll get it, instructors can move forward quicker at the right points and circle back to aid retention when things aren’t quite set in.