Engaged learning: A pathway to better teaching

Abstract

In view of the fact that diversity in higher education has increased, it has become critical to deal with the needs of non-traditional students, and especially the students underprepared for the demands of higher education. In an attempt to address this issue and answer the question, ‘How can underprepared students be encouraged to become more effective learners?’, the article explores engaged learning. The emphasis is on the identification of educational approaches that lessen the negative impact of underpreparedness on student learning. The investigation, based on an exploratory and descriptive approach, was intended to serve as a platform for higher education educators to share perspectives and experiences on teaching and learning practices that have produced positive results in general and, in particular, when dealing with the underprepared. The findings of the investigation, which include views from the literature, suggest that engaged learning might be an effective educational approach to scaffold the underprepared to learn more effectively.