What happens when instructors focus on the environment they create for students in their classroom?

In this time-out, I’ll focus the discussion on a classroom’s motivational climate, which is largely facilitated by how the instructor cultivates the environment to the degree that students feel some control, cared for, and the course experience is designed in such a way to address and enhance students sense of interest, success, and utility.

Jones et al (2022): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/23328584211073167

Jones et al (2024): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191491X24000324?via%3Dihub

Jones & Carter (2019): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-019-09500-x

The MUSIC Model website: https://www.themusicmodel.com/

How do you deal with students and their phones in class?

Students are obviously using their devices in class, and sometimes even to assist and engage with learning and the instructors. I’m curious how we should approach discussing and streamlining device use in our classrooms, and creating an environment that accepts the reality of the ubiquity of these devices but also acknowledges optimal and fair use strategies. This time-out will center on student perceptions and a few practical suggestions for how to approach off-task device use in your classrooms.

Ruppel et al 2023: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/87567555.2023.2233106

Stowell et al 2018: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/87567555.2018.1437533

Deng et al (2022): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/87567555.2021.1973947

Petranek and Gallegos (2024): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/87567555.2023.2183377

Andrade (2025): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/87567555.2023.2245526

Karlins (2022): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/87567555.2021.1985423

How do the words you select for your syllabus influence initial impressions? In this time-out, we will pause and reflect on the tone of our syllabi, and how the words we use to communicate our thoughts about the course can shift how learners may be feeling on those first days.

Harnish & Bridges: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-011-9152-4

Waggoner Denton & Veloso: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-011-9152-4

Gurung & Galardi: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0098628321994632