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Teaching Tips and Techniques

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Alternative Participation Formats

  1. Laundry List: Elicit a list of topics/problems about which students want more explanation, compiling a complete list on the board before discussing any items. This list becomes the agenda for the meeting.

  2. Multiple-Entry or Brainstorm Question: Ask questions which permit many acceptable answers to promote discussion. This reduces student anxiety and increases spontaneity. For example: "Let's list on the board all the data." "What are the possible consequences of this relationship?" "What themes struck you in reading the novel?"

  3. Student-Generated Questions: Ask students to provide questions for discussion. These can be written out beforehand, or generated in brief small group sessions during class. Such questions can also be the basis for review sessions. In science or math classes, students can create problems for each other to solve, which helps them understand key concepts behind problem-solving techniques.

  4. Student Problem-Solving Groups: Students work in small groups, solving problems or discussing conceptual questions. The instructor serves as a roving consultant, providing suggestions or clarifications. Later, discussions can continue in the whole group, or each subgroup can report its ideas and findings to the whole class. Problems or topics can be generated by the instructor or the students.

  5. Brief Pair Group Activities: Students form pairs with seat neighbors and briefly discuss a topic: e.g., what puzzled them most in lecture; how they would handle a key step in a problem solution; a teacher-posed question; etc. Can be used as a prelude to the Laundry List (#1).

  6. Student Presentations — Problem-Solving, Discussion Leading: Individual students may be asked to present problem solutions or to lead discussions on specific topics. A good way to prepare for this is to combine it with small-group problem-solving (#4), or student-generated questions (#3). The small group chooses a representative to present its thoughts to the class.

  7. Matching and Milling: Each student is given a piece of information about the subject matter. Students are asked to move around the room individually, comparing bits of information. The task is to find a matching piece of information (two molecules with bonding capabilities, an author with a writing sample).

  8. Review Time: A short period in which students are specifically encouraged to ask for review of basic elementary questions. This can be put in a tactful way designating the time for "covering basics" or "filling in gaps." The aim is to eliminate the embarrassment and stigma associated with asking elementary questions, since only this type of question is allowed.

  9. Hand Voting on Topics: To gain a quick census of class needs, and avoid singling out individuals, ask "How many people would like more explanation? Raise your hands." The same technique can be used to sample class attitudes on points of substance, such as agreement or disagreement with a stated conclusion.

  10. Calling on Students: To expand participation, students are identified by name or otherwise and asked to solve problems or give information. To minimize tension, this should be done frequently and students unable to answer should be "let off the hook" quickly and without fuss.

  11. Exam Question Format: Use old course exam questions to help students learn and prepare for tests. In science or math sections, put some challenging problems on the board for advanced students to work on while the class deals with homework or simpler problems. Then return and discuss the material in detail. In social sciences, construct test-like questions, and use them to focus section discussions.

  12. Role-Playing: Students are asked to take the part of a relevant character, and respond from that character's point of view. One might, for example, have a debate between Machiavelli, Nixon, and Christ on the nature of values, and so on.

  13. Change-Your-Mind Debate: Pose a two-(or more) sided issue. Set up the room so that there are separate sets of chairs for each side, including one area for the undecided. Let students conduct a debate among groups with different viewpoints. Any time a student changes his mind, he moves to the part of the room which reflects his new viewpoint. Many disciplines provide sufficiently controversial topics, but even in "one answer" subjects, it is possible to find problems that yield more than one plausible solution.

  14. Clustering: Begin with a word, name, concept written in the middle of the board. Students brainstorm with this word as a focus, expanding connections out from the source. The base idea leads to more ideas, thus releasing creative thought, clarifying conceptual connections, and providing source links for writing assignments. This is also called "concept mapping."

  15. "Jeopardy" Teaching: Set up a "game show" format on the board complete with related categories and point values. Students pick a category and answer questions posed in different ways. Each right answer is awarded with one or more points. The one with the most points receives a prize, and all students receive extra credit for right answers. This can be done in groups or individually. This method will make review and evaluation more enjoyable and facilitate recognition of weak areas which need further coverage.

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