Fulfilling objectives with innovation
what different and innovative methods can we use that will also allow us to follow the course rules and meet its objectives?
Hi Priyal,
I use case studies, group activities and small group presentations. This keeps the course content flowing but offers students different ways to learn and process the material. All of this can be done in conjunction with the use of different kinds of media during the lecture phase of the class.
Gary
Thank you Gary,
I specially deal with small groups . So I need to include activities that involve 2-3 students in a group. I have tried using flash cards, wordsearches etc. But i dont seen to get any activity that I can do with a small class as a whole.
What about playing a game like Who wants to be a millionaire or Jeopardy? I have a class of three students and it's fun to do mini-research projects and then post to an online discussion board which then enables them to communicate back and forth about a specific topic. You can also make them the "experts" on certain topics or chapters and have them present to one another. Fortunately, my institution has SmartBoards and the students love to use it in a variety of ways.
I also like to try doing creative things like: roleplay activities, having them create a poster or graphical represenation of something, etc.
Hi Nicole,
Great ideas thanks for sharing them. I like to use games as well. They really help to get the students engaged in the class. Also, I like your use of assignments to develop "experts" in certain areas of the course and then letting them share their expertise. As you said the students really like this and this has been my experience as well.
Gary
Hi Gary,
I have tried role plays with my students too. These activities work well with a average or a big size class. As with my course the class sizes are small so i have to come up with activities that would work witha small number of students.
Another thing that can be done is to have the students discuss a topic of interest but require that one or two students purposely prepare an argument that is counter to the consensus of the class as a whole. While it seems counter-productive to force someone to argue against their actual opinion, I've found that when someone is forced to discuss a topic from a different perspective, it forces them to better understand their own opinion. You can't say you feel a certain way about a topic unless you truly understand why someone would disagree with you.
Hi Priyal,
Thanks for this follow up on using student groups to increase learning. With your small classes you are able to use the whole class as a form of small group so everyone gets a chance to contribute to the learning format.
Gary
I enjoy games as well. They make what can be an otherwise boring information download fun and engaging. It's fun for the instructor as well as the students.
I also enjoy field trips. Keep in touch with whatever career field you are preparing your students for and take them to local gatherings or work-places, after you have cleared all the requirements of your college for such things, and cleared it with the location you are visiting.
