Students’ Understanding of Empathy

Why is empathy important in education?

University courses are difficult. Trying to navigate these classes, while dealing with personal, familial, and interpersonal issues can create tension and extensive amounts of stress for students. In a 2022 survey issued by Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) at the University of Iowa, it was shown that 3 in 5 students often worry about debt and financial concerns, and 1 in 4 cut or skip meals due to finances (SERU Brief, 2022, pp. 1-2). Beyond this, nearly 70% of students at the university work at least 12 hours a week at various jobs, which can also contribute to stress and issues with time management. These high levels of stress can lead to a survival brain state in students, which shuts off all logic and focuses solely on survival instincts (Imad, 2023). This state makes learning much more difficult and removes enjoyment from college courses. These worries can be mediated, however, by decreasing stress in the classroom. Decreasing the pressure or stress around college courses can give students more time and/or energy to spend on other stressful situations or circumstances they are juggling. One of the easiest ways to do this is through empathetic learning and class policies.

Studies have found that professor empathy is directly related to students’ empathy in their future careers (Wenger et. al 2023). A study using a survey on teacher empathy in the health fields conducted earlier this year at the University of Iowa found a positive correlation between students’ JSPE-HPS scores (a common method to measure empathy in healthcare workers) and their perceptions of faculty empathy towards patients. It has also been shown that learning in an empathetic environment leads to more positive student-instructor relationships and academic motivation (Ross et. al 2022, p. 29). An empathetic learning environment gives students the opportunity to create more meaningful relationships with professors. They may ask more questions or even be more interested in learning the material when they are able to engage with the instructor in a meaningful way. On top of this, students have greater perceptions of professors when they practice empathy in the classroom. A better view of a professor often leads to working harder and putting more effort into the material being studied (Ross et. al 2022, p. 36).

Actions that express empathy

Students are receptive to many actions that express empathy. These actions range in time and ability, but all change the learning environment to be more compassionate and understanding. Some key actions continuously mentioned in studies are active listening, flexibility in assignments and due dates, and checking in with students both in and outside of the classroom (Ross et. al 2022, p. 32). Students have also expressed the importance of extra resources, breaks from heavy course loads, and understanding individual experiences, especially after large tragedies and events (Huston & DiPietro 2007).

Practicing empathy in the classroom does not mean you must drastically change the course load, policies, or syllabi in classes. There are many easy ways to teach with empathy, and most can be practiced at any point during the semester. Below are a few examples that we believe may help to create a more empathetic environment in your classroom. Many of these can be used by professors and TAs and may be modified based on the class size and teaching methods.

10 ways to teach with empathy:

1. Active listening

Professors’ interpersonal skills and behavior are associated with student learning and motivation (Weger 2018, p. 52). Active listening shows students that you are interested and invested in what they are saying or the questions they are asking. This helps students feel like their learning is valued and that they are welcome to ask questions when needed.  Active listening may be accomplished through eye contact, nodding, positive facial expressions, and more.

It is important to note that active listening is not equivalent to “smiling more”, which is often pushed on female teachers. Active listening can include many other actions, such as critically thinking about a student’s words, replying to them using evidence they brought up in an argument, or asking questions to clarify their statement or question.

2. Tell students about yourself

Professors are often viewed as scary or intimidating, especially in large lecture halls. Providing some personal information or anecdotes can build a connection with students, relieving some of the stress or intimidation that comes along with college (Rhodes 2019). This can bridge the gap between instructors and students, and show students that you are still human. Humanizing the classroom in this way relieves stress on both sides. It provides a safer and less intimidating learning environment for students. It also can help relieve some stress on being a “perfect” instructor from professors, for you are human as well and need empathy in the same way students do.

Sharing anything that is important to you builds a connection to students by showing your passions. This could be as simple as a research study you are working on, or as personal as your dog’s name and favorite food.

3. Call on students by their name

Using students’ names shows them that you have spent the time and effort to get to know each of them. It builds a personal connection with students and shows that the instructor cares about their learning and being in the course (Cooper et. al 2017, p. 7). This is an attainable goal for smaller and more intimate courses, such as discussions. Learning every student’s name in large enrollment courses is not always a reasonable task.

There are ways around this so that students can still feel a connection to their instructors.  Asking for students’ names when they raise their hands can help to put a few faces to names for each course. Knowing the names of students that come to office hours can also bridge the gap in large lectures. Beyond this, name tents have been proven to be beneficial, both for teachers to get to know students, and for students to feel like their instructors know their names (Cooper et. al 2017, p. 1). The constant reminder of names can help with memorization, and even help students learn the names of their peers, which could also benefit their learning and feelings of belonging in a course.

4. Provide extra study resources

Not all students learn the same way. In some courses this can be mediated by including different learning activities or variation in classes (Tanner 2017, p. 328). Some courses, especially large lectures, cannot have as much variation during class time. In these courses, providing extra resources such as practice problems or links to videos could better assist students in their learning.

Professors may worry that they are not “good” teachers when students ask for extra resources, but that is not the case. Providing alternative ways for students to learn or think about materials, as simple as links to websites or YouTube videos, is enough. Emphasizing that these are for their own studying and not required or necessary to learn the material in class can also relieve stress around studying. Not every student is the same and not every brain works in the same way. Giving alternative ways to learn the material taught in class can give visual learners, listeners, and hands-on learners all the opportunity to best learn the material for them. This can create a more understanding and open classroom, teaching all students in the course (Tanner 2017, p. 325).

5. Give lecture topics before class

Providing information prior to class on what the next lecture will be over gives students an opportunity to look over PowerPoints or prepare before class time. This can allow students to brush up on helpful topics and go over any required readings so that they may begin to learn the material before class begins and follow lectures more closely (Moravec et al. 2010). This can also aid any anxiety about changes in the course calendar by reassuring students on what they will learn next class.

This will require lecture slides to be up a day or two prior to class, which is not always feasible. Communicating to students when slides will be up, as well as communicating what class may entail can be helpful in easing stress.

6. Add learning outcomes/goals to each lesson

Long and/or complicated lectures can be hard to follow and pay attention to. Adding learning outcomes or goals provides a guide to these lectures and gives students a better understanding of what they should look for during lecture. Students can better focus on the material being presented to them and take better notes during class (Heward 2013, p. 4).

Lectures do not have to follow these goals directly, and the goals do not need to be strict. Rather they are guidelines that both lecturers and students can follow which cover a few main points of the lecture or “takeaways”. These guidelines give students an opportunity to critically examine what they are learning (Heward 2013), while understanding what they should know by the end of class.

7. Class check-ins

Taking time to assess how students feel throughout the semester gives students the opportunity to bring up anything they are struggling with. This also makes students feel like their opinions on their learning are thoughtfully considered and valued. On top of this, class check-ins prove to be helpful to instructors (Thomas 2022, p. 3), for they serve as a place for reflection and improvement as a teacher.

In classes with intense course schedules, it may be difficult to dedicate class time to concerns, or to make large changes in the middle of the semester. Adding optional ICON quizzes outside of class can allow students to check in without taking time out of the course schedule. These check-ins can bring up small changes that are easy to implement, or keep in mind for the following semester.

See chapter 5: Inviting Student Voices into the Classroom for more information and outlines to class check-ins.

8. Constructive feedback and opportunities to edit

Constructive feedback can give students the opportunity to improve on their assignments and understand what they may need to do to do better. This allows them to learn from their mistakes and actively make changes, which can increase their understanding of the assignment. Constructive feedback also helps increase motivation and form goals around coursework (Susilana & Pribadi 2021, p. 517), which leads students to further engage in class.

It is important to present this feedback in a beneficial way, by both complementing what was done well and elaborating on what can be improved (Susilana & Pribadi 2021, p. 518). We understand that it may be harder to provide feedback in some courses, for they may not have many graded opportunities or be exam based. Exams are hard to reassess and edit. Giving students another opportunity on the final or dropping questions that entire classes failed on exams could be beneficial. On top of this, spending time going through proper answers, or correcting questions on exams can facilitate students’ learning and help them in the future.

9. Flexible due dates

Things happen. Giving students the opportunity to turn assignments in at a range of dates, or including a grade period, gives students the ability to turn things in when they can without the anxiety of asking for extensions. Flexible due dates allow for students to spend time on their assignments to turn in work they are proud of (Mills 2021), while still giving space in the calendar if they need it.

In some courses, flexible due dates can affect timing for grading and course calendars. Factoring in a grade period in the calendar or providing an ideal due date and then a later, set due date could help both instructor and student. Some professors may worry that flexible due dates will cause students to take advantage of the extra time and lead to an influx of later assignments, but it has been shown that that is not the case (Mills 2021). Instructors who have implemented this flexibility have found that not all students used it, and those who did still turned in their assignments in a reasonably timed manner.

10. Drop a low grade

Grades are stressful and can take away from truly learning course material. Some of this stress can be relieved by providing a little leeway, such as by dropping a low quiz or homework score. When students are given the opportunity to drop their lowest grade, most continue to study and put forth effort for each assignment (Hadsell & MacDermott 2010, p. 63). Dropping the lowest grade does, however, provide a cushion for students, which may reflect unexpected events in their own lives. Dropping a low grade can also emphasize the goal of improvement rather than perfection in college. Students are learning, and this can help reward that learning throughout the semester.

All courses are created differently and have different amounts or levels of graded assignments and exams. It is up to your discretion on what grade to drop. This could be a quiz or discussion post, or even a larger assignment or exam depending on the course. Some classes may not have enough assignments and dropping the lowest grade may not be feasible. In these courses, offering extra credit can provide students with the same feelings of agency and control over their grade, as well as less stress if they do poorly on or miss a previous assignment (Riha 2022).