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THE TOOLBOX A Teaching and Learning Resource for Instructors
BREAKING THROUGH THE “FOURTH WALL”: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING T
here is a rich history of thought and research Brad Garner around how faculty can and should engage Innovation & Partnerships Indiana Wesleyan University with their students in higher education (Chickering and Gamson, 1987; Guzzardo et al., 2020; Kuh, 2008; Trolian, Archibald & Jach, 2020). There should be no doubt that this element of the college experience can dramatically impact student learning and their probabilities of success. In this issue of The Toolbox, we will examine the “Fourth Wall” as a metaphor for how faculty can envision approaches to interacting and engaging with students.
The Fourth Wall is a conceptual model with its roots in staged performance arts. The idea is that there is an imaginary transparent wall between the actors and their audience. Through this veil, the audience sees the action of the play or film. This concept was initially proposed by the French philosopher and art critic Denis Diderot (1758). He suggested that actors behave as if the curtain had never risen, completely ignoring and never interacting with the audience. This approach has long been a standard practice across staged performance venues. Interestingly, several television shows have intentionally broken the Fourth Wall to engage the audience, including Saved by the Bell, Fresh Prince of Belair, Malcolm in the Middle, and House of Cards. Films employing this strategy include Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Wayne’s World, Fight Club, and Deadpool. In these examples, cast members turn away from their fellow castmates and simulate a conversation with the audience. There are several parallels between the presence of a Fourth Wall and teaching in higher education. First, behind the Fourth Wall, faculty can choose to be the center of attention, treating students as passive audience members, whether in a classroom or an online course. In this scenario, instructors center their efforts on the delivery of content. They might observe how students respond (e.g., attentive, distracted, sleeping), but the main thing is to work their way through a deck of PowerPoint slides in the time allotted for class.
National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience® and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina
Nothing kills creativity faster than a wall.
—Eric Weiner, from The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World’s Most Creative Places from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley
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Second, just as an audience does not have the privilege of interacting with actors in a play, students may be reluctant to initiate contact with their instructor (inside or outside the classroom) when the Fourth Wall is evident in the learning environment. That is when the instructor seems aloof and interested primarily in disseminating information rather than interacting with students. This separation can lead to misunderstandings, unanswered questions, and a general sense of malaise among the students about what they are intended to learn. Finally, the Fourth Wall reduces course content to a one-way recitation by the instructor, reducing dialogue, debate, inquiry, and opportunities for critical thinking. With the wall intact, the back and forth between instructors and students that enhances learning cannot occur. It is proposed that the best instructors in higher education will resoundingly reject the concept of a Fourth Wall when it comes to teaching and learning. Instead, they will make every effort to interact with and engage their students in various ways. By breaking the Fourth Wall, instructors invite students onto the “stage” to play an active part in the drama, comedy, and suspense part of a well-designed and delivered course.
Bringing Down the Fourth Wall There are a variety of strategies that faculty can employ to eliminate the Fourth Wall as a barrier to their engagements and interactions with students. » Learn your students’ names — Everyone loves to hear the sound of their own name. So, make it a practice to learn your students’ names and practice calling them by name. » Share your story — Instructors have many experiences to share with their students. Sharing these stories gives students a glimpse into these experiences and builds a personal connection. These stories also often include challenges that have been overcome and how the instructor is a lifelong learner. » Create multiple pathways to communication — Many tools assist instructors in connecting with their students: face-to-face and through email, phone calls, texts, and video. Opening these communication channels encourages students to reach out if they have questions or concerns. Take advantage of the opportunity to send messages to your students (e.g., links to websites, news events related to course content, videos). These connections encourage students to engage with course content outside the normal boundaries of established classroom meeting times. » Create and participate in online discussions — Asynchronous online discussions provide a way to connect students outside the classroom. By participating in these discussions, instructors can help students dig deeper into the course content and build relationships. It is critically essential to craft discussion prompts that invite differences of opinion,
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UPCOMING EVENTS CONFERENCES 29th National Conference on Students in Transition Atlanta, Georgia
October 2-4, 2022 Virtual Conference October 18-20, 2022 Proposal Submission Deadline: June 16, 2022
ONLINE COURSES Understanding and Supporting Transfer Student Success Instructor: Catherine Hartman
May 23 - June 17, 2022 Registration Deadline: May 16, 2022
The Bridge to Anywhere: Enhancing Student Success and Institutional Impact Through Bridge Programs Instructor: Andrew (Drew) Newton
June 27 - July 22, 2022 Registration Deadline: June 22, 2022
Made to Measure: Intermediate Principles of Assessment Instructor: Dallin George Young
July 25 - August 19, 2022 Registration Deadline: July 19, 2022
Academic Recovery: Supporting Students on Academic Probation Instructor: Mike Dial
October 24 - November 18, 2022 Registration Deadline: October 12, 2022
WWW.SC.EDU/FYE
A semiannual refereed journal providing current research and scholarship on significant student transitions. The primary purpose of the Journal is to disseminate empirical research findings on student transition issues. To submit or subscribe, please visit www.sc.edu/fye/journal
National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience® and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina
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critical thinking, active dialogue, and personal applications of the content being discussed.
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Submission Guidelines for The Toolbox
» Practice “Immediacy” — This principle involves the creation of a learning environment where the instructor is present and responsive to their students. Immediacy is evidenced by quick responses to emails/ texts and prompt feedback on submitted assignments. These practices demonstrate that the instructor is consistently attentive to the needs of students.
For complete guidelines and issue dates, see www.sc.edu/fye/toolbox/
» Personalize Feedback — Instructors routinely evaluate student assignment submissions. The goal of this activity should go well beyond simply creating a mechanism to determine a final grade. Feedback should help students develop the skills necessary to perform more efficiently and effectively on future assignments. Feedback provides a forum for faculty to give these suggestions in a personal, conversational, and inviting way. Once again, instructors are offering evidence that they are personally invested in the success of every student.
Style: Articles, tables, figures, and references should adhere to standard set forth in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
» Schedule “Curiosity Conversations” — In his book A Curious Mind:The Secret to a Bigger Life (2016), Brian Grazer makes the case that being curious is a great way to be a lifelong learner. Consider inviting (a.k.a., requiring) your students to have a one-on-one conversation with you. Pick a comfortable spot like a coffee shop and ask your students to come equipped with topics related to your course, future opportunities, or other things they would like to know. These conversations are a great way to begin and build a foundation for learning and ongoing engagement. By the way, your students will end up doing most of the talking. Breakthrough the Fourth Wall and connect with your students!
REFERENCES Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. The Wingspread Journal, 9, 1-10. Diderot, D. (1758). La pere de famille: Comedie en cinq actes et en prose, avec un discours sur la poesie dramatique. Paris; A, Amsterdam Grazer, B., & Fishman, C. (2016). A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. New York: Simon & Schuster. Guzardo, M.T., Khosia, N., Adams, A. L., Bussmann, J. D., Engelman, A., Ingraham, N., Gamba, R., Jones-bey, A., Moore, M. D., Toosi, N. R., & Taykir, S. (2020, September 30). The ones that care make all the difference: Perspectives on student-faculty relationships. Innovative Higher Education, 46, 41-58. Retrieved November 12, 2021, from https://link.springer. com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10755-020-09522-w.pdf. Kuh, G. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Audience: Toolbox readers include full-time and adjunct faculty; academic advisors; and administrators focused on faculty development, teaching and learning, academic success, and the first college year.
Length: Original articles should be no longer than 1,500 words. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions for length. Submit your article online by using our submission form. Please address all questions to: Brad Garner, Toolbox Editor Indiana Wesleyan University 1900 West 50th Street Marion, IN 46953 Email: brad.garner@indwes.edu Phone: 765-677-3341
About The Toolbox The Toolbox is an online professional development newsletter offering innovative, learner-centered strategies for empowering college students to achieve greater success. The newsletter is published six times a year by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina. The online subscription is free. To register for newsletter alerts and access back issues, please visit www.sc.edu/fye/toolbox.
Publication Staff Founding Editor: Brad Garner Managing Editor: Rico Reed Graphic Designer: Stephanie McFerrin
Trolian, T. L., G. C. Archibald & E. A. Jach (2020) Well-being and student-faculty interactions in higher education, Higher Education Research & Development, DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2020.1839023 National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience® and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina
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