Lab activities
I teach veterinary technology and I have labs a lot of time in class for students to learn practical aspects. Some of the students really get into it and others just sit back and don't participate, and the ones that don't participate usually complain I don't give them enough lab time. Any tips on how I can engage these students more?
I am an auto instuctor.I really belive that we need to break up our lecture times with in the class lab activities. I try to provide little activities to help the students set up for the labs we are going to do. I really belive that a high energy and a good example of why the students need to know the knowledge is important. I feel that if they can put the learning in to a real life application they will understand it better.
I like strongly agree with your comment, I do large lab sessions but now I will try to work on incorporating smaller lab hands on projects to increase energy and learning, thank-you
Hi Issy,
I have found great success on larger lab settings as well. You can do group work in a larger setting also to help with understanding.
Patricia Scales
I am also an auto instructor,I have small labs that can be done in class as groups and also a large lab that students work on such as takeing apart a automatic trasmission and puting it back as a team.
Hi Jviveros,
Students really retain information more when they can become actively involved.
Patricia Scales
I would put them as a lead in a "mock" clinic scenario. This will provide you with an idea if they are not participating becuase they are not interested or if they are struggling with the concept of the clinical skills they've learned. Sometimes they hang back becuase they are afraid of what they don't know, then hide behind the excuse that that you didn't give them enough lab time.
Hi Sandy,
When it is time to apply theory by doing, you really discover who has grasp the concept or not.
Patricia Scales
I've found that the students who aren't participating have chosen not to for one reason or another. I find something that either they're interested in doing or what I would determine to be beneficial to their learning. The activity should be closely related to the subject being taught though. Almost all of the time I receive a good response from this method of engaging the students. Their perception of the course is usually alot better.
Hi Stephen,
In order for students to be engaged they must be interested in the content.
Patricia Scales
I teach massage therapy in a technical school and 80% of the class time must be active learning or 'hands-on' as opposed to lecture. I find it harder to lecture to this type of student because they are so focused on the active lesson, they can't sit still for the theory portion of the class. In order to keep them interested, the lecture is interspersed with discussion, review, case studies, anecdotes or sometimes "horror stories" to keep their attention.
My students work in groups. I go around and get each student involved in the lab setting and praise them and help the ones that are struggling
Hi Lisa,
I really like your encouragement to your students and your assistance. I can tell you are up on your feet and involved.
Patricia Scales
I have obtained more (and better)student attention, as well as better workmanship in practical exercises, by reducing 1-hour lecture-demonstration times to four or more 15-minute sessions. Allowing students to occasionally get ahead of what they think they know allows the urgency of the application in progress to increase student focus. A follow-up 10- or 15-minute lecture-demonstration, presented after an application problem is encountered and addressed, is almost always more closely observed and better absorbed by the participants who thought failure was the only result possible.
Hi Charles,
Students tend to do better when smaller chunks of information is presented.
Patricia Scales
