Carry the Class: A Strategic Approach to Designing Engagement Around Student Needs

Engaging students in meaningful participation can be challenging, especially when they juggle work, family, and other responsibilities alongside their coursework. Carry the Class is an exercise designed to make participation more equitable, structured, and engaging by giving students ownership of class discussions. Rooted in social exchange theory and the psychological contract framework, this approach fosters accountability, reduces anxiety, and strengthens classroom dynamics by aligning participation expectations with students’ real-world constraints. Over a decade of implementation, it has shown its power to increase engagement, boost confidence, and develop essential leadership and communication skills. This paper provides a complete, ready-to-use framework for implementing Carry the Class in both face-to-face and online courses, making it easy to transform student participation into a tool for deeper learning, stronger connections, and a more inclusive academic experience.