Towards the end of the semester, students and instructors alike are often worn out and tempted to take one of two avenues: shift into high gear or turn on cruise control. While either option may sound appealing at the moment, it could very well be more destructive than helpful in the long-run. There are many strategies to promote higher learning at the end of a semester that are beneficial to the student and instructor.  

Mode 1: Cruise Control

Students and instructors may be enticed to turn on cruise control, check out mentally, and go on break a few weeks early. This first option may be particularly attractive when final class sessions are devoted to student presentations. If students are not required to engage their classmates’ presentations actively, they may be inclined to listen to each presentation only passively. 

Make sure all students have something active to do while they listen to their classmates’ work, such as a presentation evaluation. In the future, also try not to pack all presentations into a few final weeks; if presentations are spread out more evenly across the second half of the semester, each class may include a combination of activities. Other activities could be  a field trip to an area on campus, roundtable discussion on the semester, or sticky notes on differing topics. In synchronous online classes, the whiteboard feature on Zoom is particularly effective for engaging activities at the end of the semester.  

Mode 2: High Gear, or Overdrive

Students and instructors may be enticed to shift into high gear, to overwork and cram as much as possible. This second option lures students who realize they are behind in class and instructors who have fallen behind schedule. Cramming may be enough to memorize and get by, but it yields little in meaningful learning gains. 

Instructors who fall behind and then cram content into the last days of class often overwhelm their students. Moreover, they miss the crucial moment afforded by the end of semester when higher levels of learning can happen, like synthesis and application. In the future, leave open days in the semester for catch up in order to save the final class days for review and reflection, which can also help compensate for unexpected class cancellations.

How to Promote Higher Level Learning at the End of the Semester

To promote higher level learning at the end of the semester, while avoiding both cruise control and shifting into high gear, help students reflect on their learning from the whole semester:

• Revisit the course’s learning goals introduced at the beginning of the semester. Have students take a moment and consider to what degree they have accomplished these learning goals, possibly giving themselves a 1 out of 10 rating based on how well they met the learning goal.  
• Ask students to create final exam essays/questions which would measure student comprehension of the course’s learning goals, or have students do mock interviews with each other being the interviewee and interviewer. 
  Invite students to synthesize their learning through a creative project (e.g., a diagram, a timeline, a concept map, creative writing, or visual art).
• Revisit readings and/or assignments from the beginning of the semester so that students can appreciate what and how much they have learned. Have students reflect on what they would have done differently with newly acquired knowledge.
• Ask students to prepare answers to questions such as: What are the most important things that you learned in this course? How will you apply this learning in your life?
• Have students compose a letter to future students of the course, advising them on what they need to know and how they should best go about learning it.
• Invite students to reflect on their development as learners, thinkers, and writers. Have students answer questions such as: What did you learn about yourself as a student this semester? Did you learn (or implement) any study strategies this semester that helped you be successful? What would you have done differently if you had to repeat this semester?
• Have students write a letter to their future self at the beginning of the semester, so by the end they are able to determine how their learning developed over the semester’s course.

References and Resources

“Ending the Semester on a Positive Note.” (n.d.) Columbia University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Teaching Center

Connor, P. (2022) Teaching Tip: Teaching Higher Levels of Learning at the End of the Semester. MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Eggleston, T. J., & Smith, G.E. (2002). Parting Ways: Ending Your Course. Observer, 15 (3). Association for Psychological Science.

Walsh, M. (2009). Five Tips for Wrapping Up a Course. Faculty Focus.

About the Author

Originally written by Justus Ghormley, submitted by Kristi Rudenga, both from the Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning at University of Notre Dame.  Edited and designed by Emma Sikora, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Oakland University. Others may share and adapt under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC.

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