Strategies for Keeping Students Engaged in Learning
What are some strategies for keeping students engaged throughout the class?
To keep students engaged in learning I like to provide real world examples. I like to relate the content of the lesson to real life.
I also follow this routine to help break up the lessons. It does take energy to keep the students engaged but less energy than having to repeat the lesson or particular parts the students did not understand. I will also use formal and informal breaks to allow the "rest and recover" before proceeding.
When I'm lecturing I like to utilize the entire class room by walking around and asking the students questions on what I am lecturing. I also will often ask the students "what does that mean?" So I can get an understanding if they really are obtaining the information that I am presenting them with.
Ashlie,
Excitement is catching so your comments are right on about how to get students engaged in the learning process and show yourself as a true learning leader.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
A strategy that I find helpful in keeping the students engaged throughout the class is implementing different techniques such as role-playing and team games based on the lecture to earn them points toward their grade. This makes it fun as well as keeping students listening and paying attention to be successful in earning a better grade.
Camille,
Good way to get input from all students and let them see the value of course participation. Once they see they are valued for their input they will increase their participation and the course will hold more value for them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Strategies to keep students engaged comes down to how you are presenting the material. You need to be animated with excitement. Get your students involved (quiz them on what they know about the topic). Give real experiences.
One good strategy is to forewarn students that participation is required, and frequently all upon them, but I think most important, providing instructional content that students can relate to is most important.
I try to take brakes in the lectures, and talk things that happen to me in the field, related to the topic at hand. Also ask review questions and sometimes throw out a piece candy to the person who speaks up and answers the questions, this seems to open the eyes.
be interactive, practice with equipement
Pam,
Students really like stories and examples from the field as you have noticed. These stories help the students to make application to the content and their skill development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to share experiences that I have had on the topic.
One of the key things that I have learned to keep students engaged in teaching and learning is to get their attention. However, keeping their attention is quite a challenge to an educator. Highlighting important concepts within the attention time span of learners is helpful.
I also use a lot of real experience the students seem to love it and they ask a lot of questions which also help me explain the course content further.
I have various methods of keeping the students engaged and
active throughout the class. I lecture for no more than 20 minutes at a time then demonstrate cooking techniques as well as show media videos that are relevant to the days subject. The class then has hands on lab/cooking time and I circulate around and offer advice and help with what they are working on.
WHEN TEACHING I MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE HUMOR. TEACHING NURSING CAN INVOLVE DIFFICULT SUBJECT MATTERS AND HUMOR HELPS TO ALLEVIATE ANY STRESS THE STUDENTS HAVE ABOUT THE CONTENT.
LaTanya,
The more senses you can get the students to use the better. You are involving a number of the senses with this method and showing them both application and relevancy in the content you are offering.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
For my classroom, I keep my students engaged by interactive learning....I teach Anatomy and Physiology at a technical college and we don't have labs as we did in universities...so as I teach my topics I turn my classroom into a lab by bringing in various items to support what I am teaching...the class gets involved by doing hands on and I notice they grasp the lecture material more easily this way...I teach how I learn too...which seems to have been 80%of my students over the past 2 years of my teaching career..lucky me :-)
One method which i use is to prepare a demonstration to hook the students attention. This usually leads to an activity using the demonstration as the foundation for that days class. Then end the class with questions from students and then my questions to them about what they remembered or gained from the class that day. So this is a three part approach that uses information presented, activities with the information, then what did you learn new or what did you like about the new data, with questions back and forth. One must prepare for a three hour class.
