Driving Student Engagement in Large Classes with Piazza

“A single answer can often just make the difference between a student succeeding and failing…Piazza gives me a way to reach that student and get them over that hurdle, and quite often I find, then they succeed.”

-Professor Joe Hummel, University of Illinois-Chicago

We invite you to view the recording of our inaugural Piazza Lecture Series hosted by Dr. Joe Hummel, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Professor Hummel walks us through how he successfully drives engagement with his students in large courses on Piazza, and we hear from several other leading experts who describe their own experiences with Piazza, and the tips and tricks they have picked up over the years.

Professor Hummel has been teaching computer science since 1984, and at the University of Illinois Chicago since 2012. In recent years, faculty like Professor Hummel have sought out new teaching methods to successfully engage students as their class sizes continue to increase, and budgets struggle to keep up. Professor Hummel started using Piazza in 2013 to better manage his growing classes. He found that he was able to communicate with his students in an efficient manner, build community among his class, and eliminate many repetitive emails from students asking the same questions.

Piazza also provided a platform for Professor Hummel to interact with his students outside the classroom and traditional office hours, so he could adapt to a student population that increasingly works at nights and over the weekends, and commutes long distances to get to class. Students can get they help they need, any time they need it, on Piazza. Through iOS and Android Apps and features like anonymous posting, and wiki-style editing for students answers, instructors and students use Piazza to get collaborate together to get unstuck.

In this Lecture Series, Professor Hummel shares how he uses Piazza, and the tips he has learned along the way that have proved most effective in his classroom.

Want to learn more? Email us anytime at team@piazza.com with questions.