Promoting Engagement and Learning: Using the Fishbowl Strategy in Online and Hybrid College Courses

Abstract

Utilizing constructivist teaching approaches in higher education promotes students’ engagement and learning. This article centers on an instructor’s use and implementation of the fishbowl strategy in two separate undergraduate courses at two different institutions. Originally conceived of as a teaching strategy for face-to-face classes, this instructor modified and employed the fishbowl strategy in a fully online course during Spring 2020 and later implemented in a hybrid class (Fall 2020). In both courses, the fishbowl strategy facilitated students’ learning and understanding of course content. It also supported peer-to-peer dialogue and undergraduates’ co-construction of knowledge.

Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2021.2024127 .

Keywords:

• Constructivism
• fishbowl strategy
• hybrid
• online
• undergraduate teaching

Acknowledgements

There was funding for this research project and the authors declare no conflict of interest.