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Learning Students’ Names

(It may be easier than you think!)

Many faculty members want to learn the names of students in their classes—and for good reasons. Research shows that when instructors display a personal interest in students it not only encourages class participation, but maximizes learning. Learning and using students’ names is a powerful way to demonstrate personal interest.

Students see instructors who learn their names as more caring and approachable. When an instructor uses students’ names, the students feel accepted and supported in their efforts to learn, and the subject matter seems more accessible. The students get the message that the instructor regards them as part of a community of people who specialize in the course subject matter.

Strategies for Learning Names

So how can you, as an instructor, learn dozens of students’ names? Naturally, people’s innate ability to memorize names varies widely, and in some large classes it may not be feasible to learn every student’s name. Nevertheless, you can employ proven strategies to make learning names more efficient and to increase the number of names you learn. Next time you’re faced with a classroom full of unknown students, try some of these simple, yet effective, strategies.

Learning Students’ Names in the Classroom

Several simple methods to help you remember students’ names can be used right in the classroom as part of your usual activities. For example, you can—

  • Call each student by name as you hand back assignments.
  • Ask students to wear name tags or put name cards on their desks for the first weeks of the semester.
  • Ask for reminders if you forget names.
  • Ask students to say their name before asking a question or making a comment while participating in class discussions.
  • Use students’ names when you respond to their comments and questions.
  • Use students’ names as often as possible (without sounding like a used-car salesman, of course).

Using the Online Class Picture Roll

Using the online class picture roll is a simple and straightforward way to learn the names of your students. Picture rolls are automatically created for all instructors.
To view and print out a picture roll for one of your classes—

  1. Go to www.byu.edu and log in with your RouteY ID.
  2. Click Faculty and Staff, then click Teaching Resources.
  3. Click Class Rolls.
  4. Click View in the class roll column for the class and section that you are interested in.
  5. You will see a list all of the students that are officially enrolled in your class. Click Picture Roll, found below this list, to view the pictures and names of each student in your class.

When you have the picture role, try these tips:

  • Print out the picture roll and take it to class each time you teach.
  • Before class, use the picture roll to review the students’ names by looking at students’ pictures and thinking of or saying each name without looking at the printed names.
  • During class, record student participation on the picture roll to connect the person in class with the picture and their name.
  • Cut the roll into individual student picture flash cards and use them to quiz yourself, removing the ones that you have already learned to focus in on the ones that you’re still learning.

Picture rolls are a great tool to help connect names with faces. However, keep in mind that the student ID pictures are sometimes out of date or not in the system.

Posting Introductions and Photos in Blackboard

It’s easier to remember someone’s name if you know a little bit about them. Ask students to write and post a brief personal introduction on Blackboard’s Discussion Board.


Asking students to include a current photograph is also helpful. If they are unable to take their own pictures, snap their photos just before or after class. When the students have posted their introductions and pictures, you can easily review them online.

This method has the advantages of taking no class time and it requires students do the work. It also helps students become familiar with posting to Blackboard’s Discussion Board.

Using Flash-card Photographs

If you (or a TA) are comfortable using a digital camera and are familiar with transferring photos from the camera to a computer, this is a fun technique to help you associate names with faces. It also gives you a current picture of each student.

At the end of a class period after the add/drop deadline has passed, allow 10-15 minutes to take the pictures. Set up the camera on a tripod in front of a wall where there’s plenty of light. Have the students write their names with a large marker on pieces of paper. Photograph each student holding up the paper with the name clearly visible. (It is a good idea to have extra batteries or to keep the camera plugged into an electric outlet.)

Once you have taken all the photographs, transfer them to your computer. Use picture editing and viewing software (such as iPhoto for Macs or Picassa for Windows) to browse through the photos and format them as flash cards. Print the cards, and use them to review the students’ names and faces.

Recording Video Clips of Students

If you’re comfortable using a digital video camera, recording video introductions is a helpful technique for memorizing students’ names. After the add/drop deadline has passed bring a camcorder to class. Make sure the camera is fully charged and the tape or the hard drive has enough space to record on.

Then focus on each student in turn, asking them to say their names loudly and clearly while looking into the camera. A class of about 40 students takes about 5 minutes to shoot.

When you’ve got the clips recorded, connect the camera to your computer and use iMovie (on Mac) or Movie Maker (on Windows) to transfer the video footage to your computer. Once it’s transferred, play through the clip a few times to familiarize yourself with all the students. You can quiz yourself by turning down the volume and trying to guess each student’s name. Finally, when you’re ready for a challenge, you can jump randomly through the video clip to quiz yourself on each name.

Playing Name-memorization Games

Games are a great way to learn students’ names and get the rest of the class involved at the same time. Playing a name recognition game does take some class time, but the benefits can be well worth it. After all, a class should be a community of learners who know each other.

Here are just a few examples of games that instructors have suggested as fun ways to help you learn your students’ names while they also get to know each other:

Scavenger Hunt (by Ed Nuhfer, University of Colorado at Denver,
from http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/names.htm)

Make up a sheet of fairly inane traits with as many traits as you have students in the class. Traits might be something like wearing shoes that require laces or likes spaghetti with clam sauce. Each trait has a space in front of the trait sufficient to write in a name. Everyone in the class gets a sheet, including the professor. The assignment is to find a person with that trait, meet them, and record their name. The rule is that you can use a person only once to complete your sheet. This works wonders with learning names quickly. I’ve never used it with a class of greater than 40.

Unforgettable Neighbor (by Ed Nuhfer, University of Colorado at Denver, from http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/names.htm)

Have students turn to their neighbor and introduce themselves. The assignment is for the neighbor to introduce their companion “with a trait that no one can forget.” Obviously the partners have to be helpful with a trait or mnemonic aid. Pick randomly from around the room for introductions. After a third person is introduced, point at those introduced while the class names the individual. Continue with the introductions and cumulative reviews. The repetition in reviews really helps.

Alliterative Adjective Name Game (by Tim Kennedy, University of Georgia,
from http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/names.htm)

The student sitting at one of the corner desks at the front of the room begins by taking the first letter of their name and selecting an adjective that begins with the same letter. Examples include: “Gross Greg” or “Awesome Alicia.” The second person has to repeat the first person’s name preceded by its alliterative adjective and then gives their own. The third person repeats from the beginning and adds her own moniker to the game. When all of the students have participated I recount them all back by adding my own name at the end. It may or may not be your cup of tea, but it’s an effective device that is always good for a few laughs.

Student Circle (Judy Egelston-Dodd; Martin Tolley, Nene College; Bruce Wagner, Tempe University, from http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/names.htm)

Have students sit in a circle with you and explain that each person is to give their name and a characteristic of themselves. For example, “My name is Judy and I have a good memory.” The second person has to repeat the first person’s name and characteristic and then give his own. And so on. Coaching is allowed! There are dangers, notes Martin Tolley: “Only this year we were three-quarters of the way around the first pass when a rather timid-looking student almost burst into tears saying, `I can’t do this; I just can’t do it.’ We all weighed in with support to which she replied, `Zoe, my bloody name is Zoe.’”

The Name Game (Bonnie Kendall, IU, from http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/names.htm)

Lots of professors play a variant of The Name Game, but my version is based on what I call “the group mind” technique. I tell the students that we have three weeks to learn each other’s names and that we are all responsible for insuring that everyone does it. I explain that cultures all over the world have developed strategies for insuring the social distribution of knowledge, such that if one person is lost, the knowledge is retained somewhere else in the group (you can skip this step if you teach, say, engineering and don’t want to talk about fuzzy stuff like culture). I encourage them to help each other in the learning process.

Start by having seven to ten students introduce themselves and then ask an individual in the group to name other individuals: “Luke, which one of these people is Rick?” “Rick, point to Susan.” “Susan, what’s the name of the person sitting next to Attila?” If Susan doesn’t know the name of the person next to Attila, I’ll say “Ask Attila!” or “Ask Luke!” In doing it this way, I can keep everyone on his or her tippytoes, because anyone might be made responsible for an answer at any time — and everyone knows that someone nearby can be counted on for help. No one is made to feel stupid, because the entire group helps out.

At the beginning (and sometimes at the end) of each class in the designated period, we play the name game: “Susan, is Attila here today?” “Bob, what is the name of that woman coming in the door?” “Kathy, point to two people named Mike.”

This is also a nice technique to interject in the middle of a long class, just to shake up people’s minds and get their attention revved up.