Motivating students by rewarding answers with participation points or extra credit points
An effective technique for me after asking a question is being silent till someone feels uncomfortable and will answer the question.
Hi Daniel - That is really excellent! We need to prepare our students to be able to take the skills that we give them and use them effectively. In order to do that, they must also have the "people" and business skills to pull it all together. Best wishes - Susan
Three techniques I like to use is Wait, Listen, and Redirect (if need). By doing these three it always seem to spark a little bit of interaction with the students. Sometimes I will have to redirect the question at the beginning with a pre-devolved question of my own. That is so the wait time is not to long and sometime it will be the question are answer someone may have had but just did not want to say at the time.
Because we are a career based educational facility, I ask students to react to the proposed question as if a coworker, interviewer, boss or customer was asking the question, when appropriate. This technique allows the student to think through all aspects of the question, individually and as a group, and offers the other students to add to the overall learning and professionalism of all students in the class. Some even relate their own experiences in each of the scenarios described above, and it ties in the course to the real world.
Hi Jeffrey- Some instructors frown on student side bars but as you describe students teaching each other can be very useful in the classroom. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
Hi Russ- Welcome to ED 103! Involving your students in group discussions that require them to analyze situations and come up with solutions is a great practice. It gets them involved and actively learning while giving you an opportunity to assess their understanding and performance without the students even realizing that they are being assessed. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
One technique I and the students really enjoy is presenting them with real life scenarios from my own experiences and asking them to come up with solutions within their groups. It creates a great discussion and gets them to think more critically about things they may have to do in the future.
When a student asks me a question regaurding a cooking method or proper proceedure and if a student starts to explain the answer to another student, which in the Restaurant Practical class we encourage, the students get a better oppertunity to not only ingauge with each other, learn from each, but also stress on cross training each other as the work the different aspects of the hot line. This also helps permote a stronger bonding and learning enviroment for the students.
Wait time has been a successful technique. I teach online and this technique is great for the discussion boards it gives them time to gather their thoughts and give me a confident answer. They also love that I responded to them with a follow up question.
Hi Franz - you have the questioning skills that make you an effective instructor! How long have you been teaching? Susan
I often ask questions that allow the students to show their knowledge of the topic without being too easy. This gets the conversation flowing and establishes a friendly environment that encourages students to come forward with their questions in the future. Asking them to explain concepts we study also contributes to their understanding of the material - you really know something inside and out when you can explain to somebody else.
I also use questions to lead students to the significance of what we study. Instead of just asking "what...?" I make them consider the "why..."?
I have used redirecting a question as a form of questionig technique to get more students engaged and participating.
I just try to ask questions to get students started. Sometimes I ask questions such as the following: What is your opinion? Why do you think that? Can you think of an example? How do you know? Is that question answered in our book? where?
In a culinary cost control class, I often ask students to tell me how they handle their personal finance issues, without getting specific. We go through monthly bills, paycheck, savings (profit), etc. so that they see the informatin in class is what they do everyday but in a different setting.
I ask students for their personal experience in the matter. This usually gets many students involved.
Typically, I have found that learners have the most to say and participate most fully when they are discussing something that is familiar to them.
For that reason, asking a question which is directly relevant or in which students can expound on some experience that already have provides the most participation for an instructor and the class as a whole.
Rapport built between instructor and Students is the key in engaging in dialogue, and they invovle in questions and answers. And this will help what they undertand that I am teaching.
Hi Laurie- Welcome to ED 103! A number of our instructors use the Think/Pair/Share technique and I agree it is really effective! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
In most classes, there are a small handful of students who willingly participate in responding to questions. I have been thinking about a technique we discussed in grad school and planning to try it - Think/Pair/Share. This allows individuals to come up with their own ideas, then bouce them off a peer before having to speak up in front of the whole group. Is anyone out there doing this with success?
