I've started getting the students, either one or two on a voluntary basis, to become involved with the class presentation. So far they're helping with the powerpoints as well as reading off questions to practice their skills with terminology. So far it's working well. Frees me up to be much more mobile within the classroom. Also helps engage those kinesthetic people who need to be more active rather than just sit and try to learn which is so boring for them they act out.
Dee,
this is a great approach to getting students involved & hopefully they're realizing that the more they present, it actually helps them learn the content even more.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I try to keep my presentations as close to the practical as possible. Giving them real life examples of situations which they might encounter, keeps them focussed and they can easily relate to it.
Mignonne,
yes, we can never forget the "so what" aspect of every presentation.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Keeping the students involved with the lecture is very important. I find that by creating stopping points in my lectures to do individual or group activities that relate to the topic help to not only keep them involved but also help them understand the topic.
Brenda,
yes, these little breaks in the lecture are a great technique to keep the listners engaged.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I totally agree with you. I teach an anatomy lab and review in a presentation format. I will show anatomical structures and ask pertinent questions to prepare students for their upcoming tests. It is a great way to keep students engaged. Yet, I have also seen that it is a nice way to change things up in the classroom too. The variety of different presentation techniques helps to keep interest, too.
Like a Chef instructor I retain students attention
in different ways.
1-lecture about the subject, not over 30 minutes
2-Demo: making of by myself and explanations step by step answer to the questions.
3-Students practice.
jean-rene,
this is a great way to keep the group engaged.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I begin with a story from experience and ask for student related experiences. If the students can in some way own a piece of the objective through real life they tend to be more participative in the discussion from the beginning. If the instructor can identify a problem solving technique to the community of the students the conversation will grow.
I understand what you're saying. I'v had this problem in larger classes. Recently, though, I've exclusively had smaller classes, so it is a bit easier to get and keep the students interested.
I usually don't lecture very often, but if I were to, since the class is small, I would start off with an ice breaker/game for my hook and then ask them questions throughout my presentation. I think the subject that I teach, English as a second language, allows for a myriad of interesting hooks/games/ice breakers.
Ariane,
the ice breakers are a great way to grab attention & engage the students/audience.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
As an instructor of primarily adult-learners, I have learned to elicit information from our students by either asking them about their direct experience in a certain area and/or relating classroom material to current events. This helps students stay involved while simultaneously enhancing their confidence academically.
Agnes,
and it's also a great way to show that you appreciate & value their lived experiences.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Student involvement is essential to the success of any presentation and as with any type of involvement one needs to have read materials so that they cannot interact acceptably in a social situation. One of the best techniques that I have seen is that when a guest speaker is coming to a particular college of the topic of the presentation is published as well as a synopsis or brief overview of the presentation. That automatically limits the audience to those that would be interested and would be properly prepared to become involved in any questioning process. Asking someone to immediately respond to a concept that they have just learned, may be actually unfair in that they have not had time to process the key points being illustrated. Also we do have to keep in mind that many individuals do not like to speak out in group environments and those are the individuals that will seek out the presenter after the presentation has occurred and then ask their questions directly.
Your methodology is extremely successful especially in the culinary environment. From practice I have found that the lecture/demo/practice to be the most effective as the students get to review a skill see a skill and practice the skill. Obviously the extent of involvement brings about a spirit of camaraderie in the classroom and laboratory and additionally we see students helping students to understand the principles being presented on that particular day
William,
yes, sometimes we view prework as a negative, but I have found that it really does help prepare the audience better.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I'm in the career services field for online and as with teaching courses in this type of environment, it's always challenging to gauge a student's reaction to our presentations. In addition to the chat box and encouraging questions, we also ask "attendance" questions to ensure the students are still with us. For instance, in the beginning as a sound/media check we might verbally ask "What is your favorite food?". Then at some other point in the presentation we might ask some other question to see who responds. It allows us to see who is truly engaged in the presentation and who has just logged in but isn't watching.
I like to get there input from the begining on the subject 1st to get them involved, and 2nd to find out what they may already know about the subject. i also like to ask questions throughout the presentation to keep them alert. this seems to make them feel more a part of the instructional portion of the presentation.
starting off with real world experiences is always a very good thing, also i ask if any of my students have had any of there own experienced in the subject at hand.
