Requiring Participation: An Instructor Strategy to Influence Student Interest and Learning

Instructors are faced with the challenge of engaging students in the learning process. This study examined the effects of participation requirements on students' (N = 258) affective learning, interest, and cognitive learning using the Affective Learning Model and the Instructional Beliefs Model. Affective learning mediated the relationship between student participation requirements and cognitive learning, and student interest mediated the relationships between participation requirements and cognitive learning, supporting the IBM. The results provide insight into course-specific structural tactics that instructors can employ to enhance the educational experience for college students.