Title: Student Engagement in Class: Increasing Learning and Persistence
1Student Engagement in Class Increasing
Learning and Persistence
- Linda B. Nilson, Ph.D.
- Director, Office of Teaching Effectiveness and
Innovation - Clemson University, 445 Brackett Hall, Clemson,
SC 29634 USA - 864.656.4542 nilson_at_clemson.edu
www.clemson.edu/OTEI
Developed for Innovative Educators
2Participant Outcomes
- By the end of this webinar, you will be able to
plan and manage your classes to gain and maintain
your students attention and engagement, thereby
enhancing their motivation, learning, retention
of the material, and persistence in college. The
engagement techniques reviewed here will also
enhance students satisfaction with your course
and your teaching.
3How do you decide what to do in class ?
- By your student learning outcomes
what you want your students to be able to do by
the end of the class or week. - Activities Assignments (in-class, homework)
Their Learning Experiences
Your Teaching Methods - Choose the best tools (methods)
for the job (outcomes).
4Lecture when you want to
- Pique students curiosity, inspire, motivate
- Model style of thinking, problem solving
- Give unique organization to the material
- Adapt high-level material to students level
- Add your own viewpoint or related research
- Present background summary or up-to-date material
not currently available in print
5Lecture is ineffective when you want students to
be able to
- Examine and possibly change attitudes
- Explore controversial or ambiguous material
- Transfer knowledge to new situations
- Develop critical thinking or problem-solving
- Develop/improve writing or speaking skills
- Learn performance or procedural techniques
- Retain knowledge or pursue more after course
6Do NOT lecture the readings!
- If you do, students wont even try to do the
readings. - Rather hold students accountable for the readings
- Better learning and retention
7Common Ways to Engage Students in Class
- Dynamic and Interactive (Student-Active) Lecture
- Group Work/Cooperative (Collaborative) Learning
- Discussion (Recitation)
8- When you lecture, make it engaging and
motivating.
9Challenge of the Lecture
- Students attention span 10-20 minutes at one
time, depending on - students prior interest (given)
- lecture delivery
- draw of content
101. Delivery to Get and Keep Students Attention
- Energy, animation, humor, drama
- Stories, anecdotes, examples
- Good public speaking skills
- Dynamism and Charisma
11Lecture Delivery - Elements
- Voice
- Body language/gestures
- Language
- Instructional organization
- Emotions projected
- Appearance/dress
- Preparation rehearsalÂ
12Pre-Class Exercises to ? Your Dynamism and
Charisma
- To make yourself larger, looser, more relaxed
- Breathe slowly and deeply from diaphragm 3-4
times. - Stretch in every direction while standing.
- Send energy into your outstretched hands.
13Pre-class exercises continued
- To increase your vocal variety, richness,
projection - Sing scales.
- Alternate high and low pitches (QA).
- Read childrens books aloud.
142. Increase Draw of Content
- Simple vocabulary new terms and symbols defined
- Concise explanations, but rephrased and
elaborated - No side-tracks (w/o explanation)
- Pauses for comprehension, note-taking
- All elements in graphics, demos explained
- Examples (many) tied back to concepts
15Draw of Content continued
- Inject drama, surprise, and suspense with humor,
exaggeration, unexpected results, amazing facts,
intriguing anecdotes and examples, case studies,
paradoxes, and puzzles - Inject own viewpoint and background
- Inject cultural aspects of material and
discipline - Inject student-active breaks
16Add Activities That Engage Students
- Interactive (Student-Active) Lecture
- Group Work
- Recitation and Discussion
17- When you lecture, do it interactively.
18Interactive Lecture
- Lecture with student-active breaks short
student activities (2-10 minutes) every 10-20
minutes - Compensates for short attention spans
- Increases class attendance, learning, and
retention - Raises your student ratings
19- Poll How many of you already lecture
interactively? - Almost every class
- Some classes
- A few classes
- Never have
20- If you have already lectured interactively in
some or almost all your classes, how did it work?
21Student-Active Breaks
- Select/design activities to meet 2 objectives
- Students apply/use content youve been lecturing
about get practice performing your learning
outcomes. - You find out how well/much they understand
(classroom assessment).
22Possible Student-Active Breaks
- Lecture note review, fill in, elaboration
- Above in pairs
- Periodic writing of most important point(s), with
pair or group sharing - Multiple choice question (conceptual)
- Problem to solve (indiv, pair, group)
- Quick case study (indiv, pair, group)
- Discuss open-ended question (pair, group)
- List examples of key concept
23- Reach consensus on a difficult or complex
question or issue (pair, group) - Worksheet/exercise (indiv, pair, group)
- Concept map, graphic organizer, matrix of lecture
material (indiv, pair, group) - Question for future test (indiv, pair, group)
- One-sentence (or longer) summary of lecture
- CATS muddiest point, one-minute paper
- Reaction/reflection paragraph
24Informal (ad hoc) Groups
- Great for student-active lecture breaks
- Set up on the fly with neighbors
- Pairs or small groups of 3 or 4
- Short-term for class period, exercise
- No peer evaluation or other feedback
- Easy for instructor, except must hold groups
accountable
25Challenging Tasks
- Task beyond what students have learned
- Must require synergy to perform.
- Specific task with written product to be
group-signed and submitted - Tight time limit requiring focus
- Call on groups and their members randomly (for
individual accountability).
26- Take some time for discussion or
recitation. - Whats the difference?
27Learning Outcomes Recitation Serves Well
- Recalling and restating knowledge, terms, and
facts - Demonstrating understanding by expressing in own
words - Speaking the language of the discipline
- Practice/drill through repetition
28Learning Outcomes Discussion Serves Well
- Developing higher-order/critical thinking skills
- Developing problem-solving skills (e.g., case
debriefing) - Exploring controversial/ambiguous material
- Examining, possibly changing attitudes/beliefs
(mind-broadening) - Transferring knowledge to new situations
- Developing motivation to learn more
29Answer one of these questions in a pod.1. What
problems arise for you during a discussion?
- 2. Why do you think some students dont
participate? - 3. What obstacles to participation can we as
instructors remove? - 4. What do the questions posed thus far have in
common?
30Types of Questions
- 1 right answer
- Quiz Show Y/N, 1-3 words
- Programmed Answer longer
- OK for recitation and test-review games (e.g.,
Jeopardy, Millionaire) - No clear right answer Fuzzy
- Multiple respectable answers
- Best for discussion
31Types of High-Response Questions
- Interpretation high-level comprehension
- Novel Application far-transfer knowledge
- Analysis compare/contrast identify assumptions
deduce implications - Synthesis make connections, identify
relationships - Evaluation assess validity select defend
32Eliciting Broad, Active, and Respectful
Participation
- Combat shyness, break down social barriers.
- Motivate students to prepare to participate.
- Warm up students minds to subject matter.
- Provide security blankets.
- Moderate to keep the ball rolling.
- Motivate students to pay attention.
- Control disruptive students.
33- Which of the following concrete actions have you
been taking? - Which of the following actions would you be able
to take and would like to take in the future?