engaging students in course content
I teach Socioloy, which is very discussion based. Students enjoy sharing their opinions. However there are students who do not like to participate for fear that they will be judged or labeled when they express your thoughts or opinion. After some information, fact or statistic is presented, I use a polling question as a discussion spring board. Once those who are more comfortable participate, I ask for a show of hands on who would choose A B C or D as their answer. I then ask one of the quiet students to tell me why they chose that as their answer. Even if they only say a few words, they were engaged for a moment. It also showed them that I care to hear their thoughts or opinion. It may encourage further participation in future classes.
Hi Marlene, Thanks for your post to the forum. Your efforts to get your students participating are commenable! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
You can deal with student questions that are off the topic by offering to discuss the subject with the student.
Hi Gerald, I like to put a question or comment that is off topic on the whiteboard in what I call the "parking lot" . Then I make sure that I save a few minutes at the end of class to address those items. Susan
Susan Polick
Hello everyone... when Trying to get students to engage in course content I have utilized something like the "one minute update" The shy ones are always the hardest to engage..when asking the whole class a question that I know will be one word or two words... I always get the one student that yells out the answer.. After the acknowledgement to the student that the answer was correct... I engage the whole classroom to repeating the answer together out loud... I always catch the shy ones saying the answer and maybe getting them to come out of their shell.
Hi Juan, Thanks for your post to the forum. Interesting how just getting the shy student to speak aloud in class (even as part of a group) can get them engaged. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Sometimes it is difficult to engage students in the course content. I will ask them to give their opinion ( either for or against) the topic. this helps because they all have a view whether positive or negative about the content.
Hi Patricia, Asking open ended questions or opinion based questions is always a good way to increase participation in discussions. Susan
Susan Polick
to input case scenarios , experiences and bringing the lecture to life. to enable students to relate their knowledge to their field of expertise
I use a polling question as a discussion spring board. Once those who are more comfortable participate, I ask for a show of hands on who would choose A B C or D as their answer. I then ask one of the quiet students to tell me why they chose that as their answer. Even if they only say a few words, they were engaged for a moment. It also showed them that I care to hear their thoughts or opinion. It may encourage further participation in future classes
I like to get the Students that are shy to help me with the class. I’ll Wright questions on the board and then have the shy student or the low participating student wright the answers on the board as the class gives them. This gets them involved.
Hi Jeffrey, Thanks for your post to the forum. That is a great idea for getting participation!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
