Supporting Underprepared Students

Two trends stand out about today's college students: they're more diverse than ever and many aren't fully prepared for college. A range of factors, like the pandemic and students' educational backgrounds, may contribute to their readiness. Still, the diversity of these students adds richness to campuses. Because of their mix of backgrounds, experiences, and interests, this student body presents colleges with the chance to embrace different perspectives and ideas, making everyone's education more dynamic. While we can't always predict students' college readiness, we can find ways to support them in their academic careers.

Tips for Supporting Underprepared Students

With the right resources and a supportive atmosphere, we can help students succeed, whatever their starting point may be. With some effort, we can create class environments where students feel empowered and encouraged.

Assess Knowledge and Readiness for the Course

Gauge what students already know and give them tools. Use simple, non-graded tasks, quizzes, and chats to see where they're at. Get them to share what they're confident in, where they need help, and what's new to them.

Create a Resource Library

Collect and share resources in a variety of modalities to help students grasp foundational concepts from the course and relevant technology. Guides that help students understand your expectations for their writing and researching or that share study skills are also helpful. Students can even help build the library by sharing helpful resources with their classmates. See the student success tips and tools provided by the Huskie Academic Success Center and share with your students.

Encourage Students to Speak Up and Ask Questions

Create a welcoming environment where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns. Take the time to review materials and make sure everyone understands. Offer different ways to communicate, like in-person chats, online messaging, or anonymous question discussion boards on Blackboard.

Create Opportunities for Individualized Help

Make sure students know about your office hours and—when practical—give students who can’t meet with you during those times other opportunities to talk. For struggling students, it may be helpful to plan recurring one-on-one conferences. Here are some suggestions on ways to vary your office hours to reach more students. If you have large classes, it may not be practical to meet one-on-one frequently, but you can schedule focused drop-in times for students who want assistance.

Make a Learning Plan

Create a clear, shared plan so that learning becomes less abstract. This plan creates a common language that helps students as they navigate new ideas. It can identify which skills need to be practiced or what content needs to be reviewed. This is useful for students using tutoring services.

Vary Learning Methods

Help students retain and recall information by using a range of learning techniques in class or modeling structured work strategies. Help students understand the difference between studying and learning. Alternate modes of instruction to reinforce learning. Engage students in metacognition to help students think about their learning.

Provide Examples

Give students examples of what to expect (especially if you have assignment sheets, exams, or quizzes that have timed releases) to help them better prepare for upcoming work. Share examples of finished projects, writing, and other assignments to help students better understand formatting, organization, citations, and other expectations. Provide study guides and assignment sheets early so students know what to focus on and have ample opportunities to ask for help.

Help Students Understand the University Space, Community, and Resources.

Share, or even crowdsource, the best study spots on campus and encourage study groups. Show students The Learning Center, where they can study and use the computer lab and help them plan for tutoring at the University Writing Center or Huskie Academic Success Center. Students, especially first-generation students, may not know what resources exist to support them. Share campus support services and centers tailored to help students build essential college skills and find supportive communities.

Reinforce a Growth Mindset

Recognize students’ efforts and normalize mistakes as a part of learning. Provide clear feedback and opportunities for skill improvement to help students as they learn new content and practice new skills. Give examples of class work and explanations to set clear expectations. Use growth-minded language when setting expectations.

Contact Us

Center for Innovative
Teaching and Learning

Phone: 815-753-0595
Email: citl@niu.edu