The Teaching Tightrope: Presence Versus Pressure

Creating space for participation without pressure using teaching techniques

How do you encourage discussion without triggering anxiety in the classroom? Balancing engagement and pressure is key to student success. Too much pressure makes students anxious and silent. Too little engagement leads to boredom and superficial learning.

When I was invited to write this article, I immediately thought of my own undergraduate students. Whether I teach face-to-face or online, my classrooms are always diverse. My students bring a range of learning needs, styles and experiences. Each semester starts with a mix of challenges and opportunities, so I adjust my teaching techniques week by week. Creating space for dialogue without pressure is part of that ongoing work.

My article presents strategies and teaching techniques to help educators engage undergraduate and postgraduate students on their own terms, supporting their students to feel safe, involved, trusted and valued, motivated and curious to learn. I have found that these methods deepen my students’ learning and critical thinking, helping them understand and apply information more effectively.  Whether you teach synchronously, asynchronously, or through a blended approach, I offer practical tips on striking the balance between engaging and overbearing teaching, from preparing course materials to delivering interactive lessons.

I have chosen to share these tips because they support both confident students and those who are quieter. Whatever the subject, they build trust, not tension, and encourage participation without singling students out. These principles align with the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, which highlights social, teaching and cognitive presence as essential to meaningful learning. Although originally developed for online teaching, this framework is equally relevant to face-to-face settings, helping to create safe, collaborative spaces where presence supports, rather than pressures, student engagement.

Presence without pressure: Smarter student engagement strategies

Effective student engagement requires thoughtful techniques and tools that encourage participation and reduce stress.

Teaching Techniques

The first few days of a course are crucial for setting the tone of your classroom and building a sense of trust and belonging among students. First-year students and undergraduates are still learning to navigate higher education, so share ground rules and offer support. Do the same with postgraduates. Inclusivity means considering cultural, linguistic and accessibility needs. When materials and teaching methods are adapted accordingly, all students are supported fairly, and their stress is reduced.

Use ice-breakers in the first week to help all students feel confident and engage with peers. In small, face-to-face groups, ask students to introduce themselves, encouraging them to share as much or as little as they like. If you teach online, encourage students to post introductions in the forum, and join in yourself. This creates a sense of community.

From day one, be approachable and empathetic. Clearly explain the purpose of participation, what it looks like, and how it is assessed. Remember to adjust expectations if necessary, for example, to support working postgraduates. Postgraduates often have busy schedules, so brief check-ins help them manage stress and stay engaged.

It is important for educators to be actively involved, supportive and approachable. This helps create a positive learning environment where students feel comfortable working together, sharing ideas and asking questions. Aligned with the Community of Inquiry framework, such an environment encourages connections between students (social presence), clear guidance from the teacher (teaching presence), and deeper thinking and understanding of the material (cognitive presence).

Whether you teach face-to-face or online, avoid cold calling without consent. Instead, invite volunteers when asking questions in the classroom or on online forums. Fear of being judged is a common cause of participation anxiety. Creating a supportive atmosphere where mistakes are accepted helps students feel more confident about taking part. For example, on my online discussion forums, I respond to a student’s post with personalised feedback (e.g. ‘Hi Sam!’), followed by ‘Hi Team!’, to pose a wider question to the group. I value Sam’s contribution, but I don’t put Sam under the spotlight. This communication approach balances recognising the individual and encouraging wider participation, and makes my undergraduate students feel safer, more respected, and more willing to participate.

Additionally, whether on campus or online, always find ways to motivate your students, as motivation helps them engage more meaningfully with the course materials. It alleviates their anxiety and makes them feel more confident, particularly when stress peaks during the semester. Encouragement can be a safety net for at-risk students. It helps them stay connected and persist through challenges, all of which support student retention and success.

Tools

A range of digital and in-class tools can support participation, inclusion and deeper learning, and reduce pressure. I strongly recommend flipped learning, using Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). For example, share accessible pre-recorded lectures, readings and case studies before the class, allowing students to prepare at their own pace and engage deeply with the course material. This approach is effective across disciplines. I have seen this in mathematics courses, where lecturers share formulas and problems a week ahead, so students can prepare and discuss them in seminars.

When set to allow anonymity, participation tools like Padlet let students contribute confidently and safely. Undergraduates feel less pressure, while postgraduates can use this collaborative tool to share more complex ideas without fear or criticism. In my art history course, undergraduates personalise Padlets with their thoughts, images and videos of favourite artworks. We also use Padlets to celebrate their achievements by showcasing insights from discussions or teamwork. Sharing these with the class validates all contributions without putting anyone on the spot. Students feel recognised and their efforts valued. Clear guidance and support are important to ensure everyone can use these online tools effectively.

Another helpful teaching technique to boost motivation and reduce pressure is the Announcements forum component of the VLE. When teaching online, you can use it to encourage and reassure students before assessments, reducing stress, especially for those new to university exams. Similarly, in face-to-face lectures, brief verbal check-ins can motivate and reassure students. Because important exams or large assignments can make students anxious, using smaller, low-pressure tasks with clear instructions, transparent rubrics, and helpful feedback can ease student stress.

You could offer multiple ways for students to participate, such as verbal answers during Q&A sessions in on-site classes, along with poll responses, discussion forums, and reflective assignments completed online. These tools increase student confidence because your students value having autonomy and choice.

To create inclusive digital spaces, consider using forums, shared documents or digital whiteboards that allow students to participate asynchronously. This teaching technique helps students manage their learning more independently and balance it with their personal schedules.

In your classroom, regularly give students time to think and process information. These pauses support scaffolding: they help students synthesise information more effectively. Small group projects also promote scaffolding through peer support and do not always have to count towards students’ results. Such activities improve confidence and knowledge for undergraduates and allow postgraduates to experiment and engage in deeper debates.

Gamification (the use of game-like elements) is used in both synchronous and asynchronous learning to make learning more enjoyable and engaging. In digital courses, it may include quizzes and badges, and in face-to-face teaching, it may involve group challenges or role-playing games. Use it cautiously. Too much competition can cause stress or disagreement. Avoid making these activities competitive and focus instead on problem-solving and collaboration. Gamification can create the illusion that learning is easy, so careful use is needed to encourage deeper engagement.

Lastly, mood and feedback tools during the semester, such as brief surveys, can help you measure student participation and engagement through anonymous feedback. These tools encourage students to confidentially raise concerns.

Closing remarks

Engaging classrooms help students learn better. Balancing engagement without pressure takes practice, experience, and self-reflection. Ask yourself: What did I learn this term, and how can I improve my classroom next term? Your students have unique learning needs. Empathy is key, regardless of your teaching subject and methods. Create an environment where students feel safe and valued from the start, learning independently and with others. Use innovative tools, thoughtful course design, and teaching strategies to support your students. This helps maintain engagement without adding pressure, turning their challenges into opportunities.

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