Fostering Agency in
Learning

Ideas

IDEA #5: Meaningful Student Choice and Identity

"What if the most important skill we can teach students isn't content, but the ability to choose, create, and take charge of their own learning?"
—Rebecca Stobaugh
"...in effective classrooms where students are motivated to learn, teachers are supportive of their learning interests, cultures, histories, and inquiries"
—Margaret Vaughn

Learning Intentions

Creating choice for students gives them the opportunity to make decisions about what and how they are learning. Giving them options to connect course content to their own identities and select their own paths to successful learning and deliverable creation will allow them to practice agency.

Choice in the Learning Environment

Allow students to choose:

  • Seating arrangement, and whether it is set or fluid
  • Group partners, size, roles (speaker, notetaker, etc.)
  • Classroom volume (noise preferences; option to wear headphones)
  • Breaks, timing
  • Pace for learning

Choice in Course Content

  • Conduct a Student Information Survey (i.e., interests, content recommendations, etc.).
  • Let students vote on topics and content.
  • Provide multiple options for topics, readings, and/or content delivery.

Choice in Learning and Engaging with Content

  • Let students use their preferred methods of annotation or notetaking.
  • Adapt content options to meet the needs of students who come from a variety of cultural backgrounds and present with a variety of learning and accessibility needs.
  • Invite students to brainstorm or select questions for discussion.
  • Give students options for preferred non-technical (i.e. paper-based) or digital tools (i.e. online survey, etc.) when learning.

Choice in Deliverables

Give option to:

  • Connect assignments to interests, identity, or experiences.
  • Prove mastery of a subject (provide choice menus/choice boards).
  • Propose projects outside of instructor-created recommendations.
  • Propose how to share and display work with limited vs. broad audiences.

Resources