The atomic bomb shelter exercise is a great one. I remember participating in the excercise as a student in a group communication class. It really illustrated group dynamics, decision-making styles and respecting other person's thoughts.
I teach Critical Thinking which is a course that gets student involvement right from day one.
One activity that I use to start off this class is the "Atomic Bomb Shelter Exercise." Students are asked to form groups of 4-5 students per group. A handout is distributed to each group in which states: "An atomic attack has occured in which there are only 15 humans left alive on earth. It will take two weeks for the external radiation level to drop to a safe survival level. The food and supplies in the shelter can sustain at a very minimum level, seven persons for two weeks."
It is now the task of the group to decide the seven persons who will survive. Amongst ther 15 people are 3 married couples with children ranging in ages from three weeks old to 13, some other people are single--all different ages ranging from 21 through 66, there is a priest, a nun, professors, a Native American, a retired Army Colonel, etc. The people are from all walks of life.
After each groups has made a decision, the class comes together as a whole to share their feedback. I find this exercise to be very challenging and sometimes emotionally charged.
As each group leader shares their responses, and students voice their opinions, more and more students feel less intimidated to share their thoughts. I also pose questions to the class like, "How were decisions made?" "Who influenced the decisions and how?" "What roles did group members adopt?" "What have you learned about the functioning of the group?" "What situations at work/home/school do you think are like this exercise?"
Students who share their answers are praised for doing so. Others are aksed, "How do you feel about John's response, etc., etc., etc. After working within a group setting and getting to know their peers, I feel students take more risks in the questions and answer session.
A great way to help students overcome the fear of speaking in class is to make the lesson appeal to the students in a very real, authentic way. If they can relate to the subject at hand, they are more willing to participate. A safe, comfortable, environment needs to be set up from the very beginning of the semester.
Hi William - Thanks for your post to the forum. I have found that even for my adult learners, games are a big hit! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Open ended questions are good but I like to ask an individual and not the group
Direct questions and also using games to get full class participation which is based on questions/rewards.
I usually will begin a class with questions about an assignment or what we learned in the last session. As students respond I will have them elaborate on the question and build the reponses and questions that lead us to the objectives for the class.
I usually leave time at the end of class for questions and if there are none I will pose some close ended questions to the class or use an exit slip and discuss any questions at the beginning of the next session
Sometimes when a student asks a question that I feel the whole class needs to know the answer to I turn it around by saying, "Class, does anyone know the answer to this question", I always get great feedback and then the discussion begins and they are all involved. It's a great way to get them all to participate.
Thanks for sharing some good examples of ways to engage students in questioning. Susan
make questions relevant to students day to day life experiences and keep it simple and within the understanding of students capabilities.
rephrase the questions in different ways to make all, students understand the core of the question
Hi Caro - Thanks for your post to the forum. Your questioning strategy is great as you take your students from the basics to the more advanced "how and why" questions. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Patricia - Thanks for your post to the forum.
I think it's great that you are challenging your students to answer questions as if responding to a client! Great practice for them! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I like to start my anatomy and physiology chapter review sessions with a question about basic knowledge of the system we are discussing such "What are the two primary functions of the lymphatic system?" Then we work through the various levels with "how" and "why" questions.
I ask a lot of thought provoking question to the student but before they respond I ask them to remember that they are professional in their current field and they are answering their clients as such. It's amazing to see the responses that you get after that.
Hi Thomas - Thanks for your post to the forum. You are running a very dynamic classroom - great work! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Vicki - Thanks for your post to the forum. You mention an important point - we really need to concentrate on "listening". Too often instructors are busu thinking of their next question instead of really listening. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Chris- Thanks for your post to the forum. Remembering (or taking notes!) about our students' experience/backgrounds allows us to personalize some discussions and questions which does encourage participation. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
First I try to research the students’ background. The simplest way is to have each student introduce themselves and their background which provides for a wide variety of discussion areas that relate to the lesson content. This allows me to tap into their education, experiences and what type of work to they do. Then, I try to ensure each student participates by having them contribute to the discussion.
First I start the session with conversation that I think will make the class feel comfortable. Then I discuss a little about the assignment and begin asking simple questions. Once the ball is rolling I go from there and try to engage all students in the discussion. Also, I think eye contact is very important when engaging students as well as listening to responses and responding.
In my anatomy and physiology class, many times we will discuss the function of a particular body system and its various parts. I will then use open ended questioning, and the traditional, "and then whats" to move to a logical conclusion in regard to the known function which invariably was the subject of the lecture.. without realizing it, many students are active participants, and will be willing to take a chance on an answer, to see if we move along the "Path to Knowledge" as I call it.. yes, drawn on the board.. as a schematic of what we want to learn and what we already know.. it is a bit dramatic, almost like Mr. Science on PBS, but, it gets the points across.. and the students will ask their questions, given time to reflect and formulate, and we answer and redirect till I have actually had full class participations in open socratic discussions...
Seting personal goals help
