Hi Kane,
Great question. Some courses are structured to the point they present real challenges for both the instructors and the students to stay focused on their learning needs and not drift away.
There are several things you can do. You can introduce “ice breakers†at different times throughout the class session. These activities can serve to redirect the students for a few minutes before they go back to their work. Granted these are not directly related to the course content but they really help the students to refocus. Another is for you to explore a new method of helping students as they work through their activities. I have, when teaching a sequence course such as this, decided that this class session I will try and ask questions back to the students to get them to work toward solutions, rather than just giving the answers. Other times I have had the students walk up to the desk and I discuss with them their questions or responses. This gets them out of their seats for a few minutes. The point is I change up my style so that I don't get in a rut and the course becomes boring to me as well as the students.
Keep in mind how you can change the delivery and interaction, since you cannot change the content. This is the key to REFOCUS.
Gary