Engaging Your Students
I have found that there are many ways to get students involved in classroom learning. The areas I focus on are using all of the different learning styles. What methods do you find best to achieve active student learning?
John,
I try to keep it interesting. The old 'what's in it for me" axiom is one way to think about it. Also, engaging students in discussion forces students to be involved. Also, asking specific students questions, then following up on their response, and another follow up to that one, and so on and so on. These are a few ideas.
Barry Westling
Sometimes it helps to call on a specific student and ask an open ended question to a topic or ask about their own real life experiences about a topic.
Gary,
Absolutely! I think calling on specific students is the only way to conduct discussion with Q&A, as it helps developing problem solving abilities, and gives instant feedback to the instructor about whether the students are understanding the material, or if more review or instruction is needed before progressing.
Barry Westling
I have a fun means of engaging students in content review. Every other week I hand out 5 index cards to each student and assign objectives from the front of the chapters covered. The student has to write 5 questions in Jeopardy Game format about those objectives. The next class, I bring my Jeopardy game board that I constructed using brightly colored envelops and after reading through the questions, I assign the question to an easy, medium, or hard game level and put the questions in the corresponding envelop on the game board. I divide the class into two teams and the competition begins. The games acts as a review for the upcoming test and the students learn, review, and practice the information. In a team approach no one student feels centered out if they don't know the information but the game gives each student a chance to figure out what he or she needs to study the most for the test.
Janice,
Great! Creative activities like these are a sure way to engage and involve all students, and assure everyone's participation. I imagine students look forward to the game, especially since they have a major part in it's development. I feel self-testing, where there is no penalty or grades involved, is one of the best ways to determine where additional study is needed.
Barry Westling
As a clinical instructor, One method I have found to achieve active student learning is letting all students perform procedures many times after I have demonstrated the correct techniques. Being actively involved in the procedure on a hands-on basis facilitates learning.
Harold,
Practical, hands on repetition is one of the best ways to hone and perfect a skill.
Barry Westling
