Long class times
My design school has 5 hour class times. I use the first 30 minutes to introduce a subject and have discussion about it. Then the rest of class time is for students to work on projects. I find it works best so students can get projects done during class time.
Leslie,
Yes, it's important to use the time fully and productively. Spacing out segments of instruction is beneficial since too much time on one activity can potentially lose the interest of some students. And students notice when there is dead time, or activities that just fill time. Students know when time is less than productive as much as the instructor.
Barry Westling
My classes run almost 5 hours. I give 10 minute breaks about every 2 hrs. I find that an early out (10-20) min. is a great tool and stimuli for the students. It catches them by surprise and we still cover all of the material, have thorough reviews and comprhensive assessments. I am using formative and summative evaluations during class a pre assess time and then the summative assessment at the end of the class. I don't do an early out every day once, maybe twice a week and the students response is over whelming, especially on Friday.The course content and proper delivery is priority, but a nice slight early out is a real motivator and surprise. I will tell my class " OK class we can stop here for today, but I want a thourough review of the material covered. If tests or homework is due the next day I will tell them that I expect a solid performance. Most of good, impressionable teaching comes from the heart of the instructor. A good blend of evrything we have covered in these segments, plus your own delivery, experience and style plays a pivitol role in whats retained. The come the summative assessments that reveal just exactly what was retained and what wasn't. Mitch Becker
Mitch,
Some schools hold instructors accountable for activity thats productive the whole period (due to federal financial aid, VA, or other accredition requirements). Another good technique for longer classes is "chunking", or the process of breaking up the class topics and delivery into chunks, or small bits of information provided, then moving to another segment. Moving back and forth between chunks provides variety, keeps students interested and engaged, and ultimately the same amount of information is covered. This technique is especially valuable for longer class periods, with students often surprised by class time that seems to fly by.
Barry Westling
I like the idea of "chunking". My class runs for 4 hours and I really struggle with trying to fill up the time.
Suzanne,
Great. This should be a good way to segment topics while still covering needed material, but also make your classes a bit more interesting. Studies show students retain more if information is given in shorter spurts (as long as they come back and review the material within 24 hours).
Barry Westling
I was lementing that I taught two 2 hour classes per week. And then I read you do 5 hour sessions. that's alot of time. In skills lab we do 4 hour sessions, then break for lunch and then do another 4 hour session with the second half of the class. I find I'm tired of repeating myself and feel I am short changing the second class at times. They also have the disadvange of coming in after lunch at 1pm, making it a double whammy!
Katie,
Every school sets up their schedules to meeet the demands of their specific students, and faculty have to understand what the requirements are and the responsibilities they are accountable fore at the outset.
Barry Westling
How true, but the point I was trying to make is setting up that plan B. Because you may have to wait on another instructor who runs late on their lecture you need to be prepared with everything and get in as soon as possible to start your own power point and discussion time.
Chunking is so helpful in keeping my students engaged. They never get the chance to get "bored" I also love to break them into groups to answer case study questions. Every textbook has them or you can make them up yourself.
Jennifer,
Great! Segmenting longer sessions into more digestible bites, using a variety of media and or instreuctional activities can actually make the learning atmosphere fun and enjoyable, even if the sessions are not that long. It just helps keep the interest of the students.
Barry Westling
I will begin a long class witha QA session,then we will do a sort project on the topic a QA aession then I will review the subject to make sure the students have an understanding on the topic for the day
Katherine,
Gtreat strategy. Discussion can encourage students to begin thinking about portions they hadn't considered. Q&A is also a way to check for understanding in the here and now - real time. Deficiences can be addressed immediately.
Barry Westling
Our class schedule is usually 8 hours on most day. It can be very frustrating for students doing the same things over and over again, but I try to encourage my students to stay positive and think about the future.
Tiffany,
Breaking up the class, "chunking" assignments into digestible bits, adding variety such as discussion, lab, board work, pair-share, and interactive lecture are some ways to deal with longer class times. If allowed frequent short breaks (5-minutes) every 50 minutes can help break up the tediousness. It's good when you brelate the the reason they're there is for the work setting they'll soon be a part of.
Barry Westling
I have my lectures planned, but I also have various research assignments that are due at different points in the course. If I find that students have grasped the subject quickly, when my lecture is complete I will transition to asking about the status of the project, and discuss any issues. If I have signficant time, more than 20 minutes, I will direct my students to use the remainder of class to work on assignments or projects. However, I usually plan for "research time" on days when I know I will have a shorter lesson.
Louise,
Great! Another techn ique is to plan for a dicussion orf recap poeriod at the end of a long class session. Discussions can help reinforce ideas, clarify, or amplify needed information, and are good for end of class times as the period can be varied to fit the time available.
Barry Westling
I find that the "chunking" idea helps a great deal. I have 4 hour classes and time can really drag. I give two small breaks during the class and we try to get out about 20 min. early (they totally appreciate that). I usually lecture at first and do a brief question/answer exercise on the previous day's material. Then we switch it up and do a lab, come back for more lecture, then do workbook/research activity. Some days the 4 hours fly by and I think the students appreciate the change-up of activities.
Gretchen,
Great! Chunking can also include even smaller "chunks" of activity. It's been said that change-ups every 20 minutes keeps maximum focus. That may be too frequent for you or other classes. but the idea is sound: break up required information into digestible bites.
Barry Westling
I find that in teaching adult students long classes are a lot more productive as opposed to assigning homework. The students are much more focused in class and they can share ideas with their classmates which is not an option when they are at home consumed with real life problems.
