Just-in-time teaching
Just-in-time teaching (JiTT) is a teaching approach that uses what students do before class to shape what happens in class. The idea is to spend class time more effectively, boost student motivation, encourage preparation, and help teachers tailor activities to students’ needs.
JiTT is not the same as just-in-time learning, which focuses on connecting learners with content they need right then. JiTT started with university physics in the late 1990s and spread to many other subjects. It began at IUPUI with Davidson College and the U.S. Air Force Academy and then spread through publications, presentations, and workshops. Today teachers in biology, chemistry, physics, math, engineering, and many other fields use JiTT—at colleges, sometimes at high schools, and in graduate or professional programs.
How JiTT works
- Students do online pre-class assignments 1–24 hours before class. These are often called warmups, preflight checks, or checkpoints.
- The questions focus on material that will be covered in the next class and are answered based on what the student has read or prepared.
- Because these tasks are done online, they don’t take up class time, and students may have more time to think about the questions than they would in a quick in-class quiz.
- Instructors review the pre-class responses before class. They use what they read to adjust the plan for the upcoming class. If students seem to have learned a topic, the teacher may skip or shorten the discussion. If students show difficulties, those topics get more attention in class.
- In class, teachers may quote or reference student responses as starting points for discussion. This keeps the class student-centered and helps students engage more actively.
The cycle and goals
- The pre-class work and in-class activities are designed to help students test and expand what they know, rethink ideas, and apply new understanding.
- JiTT supports three important college success factors: student-to-student interaction, student-to-faculty interaction, and time spent on task.
- The questions in the pre-class work are often open-ended or a bit ambiguous to encourage deep thinking and dialogue during class.
- This approach is especially helpful for non-traditional students who need some control over their learning to avoid surface-level studying.
Why JiTT can work
- It combines assessment with teaching. The pre-class work is formative assessment that gives both students and teachers a clear picture of understanding and progress.
- It encourages conceptual change: learning science involves adding new ideas and changing old ones.
- Motivation matters. If students find the material interesting and useful, they use deeper thinking strategies and stay more engaged.
- Teachers can boost interest with elements like challenge, choice, novelty, and surprise in both pre-class and in-class activities.
What the research and experience show
- The approach can improve attendance and reduce dropout in some courses.
- In physics and biology, JiTT has been linked to stronger conceptual understanding. For example, in one study, many more students reached a key threshold in Newtonian thinking with JiTT than with traditional teaching.
- Instructors often report that students come to class better prepared, participate more, and stay focused.
- Student feedback varies. When JiTT is well done and students see the benefit, attitudes and learning improve. If students view the pre-class work as just extra work, motivation can drop.
In short, Just-in-time teaching uses brief online assignments before class to guide and tailor in-class activities. By starting from what students already think and need, JiTT aims to make classroom time more effective, encourage deeper learning, and help students take an active role in their education.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 00:13 (CET).