Student partisipation in active learning
I have found that giving the students a list of true/false questions after a lecture and telling them they can use any resources in the room other than the answer sheet and the instructor (we can answer process questions but not answers to the questions) promotes a team environment. The instructor can check each student’s answers one time. At this point the instructor can indicate the number right with no indications of which ones are correct. Students who have a hard time participating are now drawn to the team as small groups turn into one large team of all class members. They soon realize that the whiteboard is a resource and control the flow of students having their answers checked comparing each student’ answers to the answers on the board. Make sure there are more questions than students. In addition to a great team building exercise this helps with evaluation of students.
This has offered lots of ideas so far. We use a variety of active activities in our classes but I like the idea of not allowing the students to take notes until the end of a session topic. This would increase a discussion and time to listen!
Very nice job Fred. Your activity does bring to mind the role play method I used in a career development sessions with students. I purposely selected behavior challenged students and put them in the role of authority and utilized their behavior against them, displayed but other students that have to endure their non-sense during class. Also the more silent students were unbelievably tuned-in and surprisingly vocal, empowered and dominant during the exercise. They did an excellent job of enacting the behavior, quite enjoyable actually. But this active learning session although rather pointed, really gave a learning to the class on participation and class involvement both positive and negative. A bit of different type of active learning but I have found it serves all venues. By the way, the students have done a complete turn around of their troubling behavior. High risks activity that worked.
Hi ArRecozell,
Yes, students enjoy role playing as well as mock learning. These are very fun activities.
Patricia Scales
I found that a lot of role playing my classes gets students involved
