I have students come up with three questions about the topic or a current event surrounding the topic. They exchange questions and read off the other students question. While they do not identify the author of the question, it does take the feeling of the "spotlight" off of them.
Hi Michelle- Thanks for your post to the forum.You are doing a great job at getting your students to feel comfortable in your classroom! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I sometimes ask questions during break time or before or after class. For example: What did you think of the reading tonight? I think sometimes if students aren't confident enough to speak up in class, they will be comfortable just one-on-one. I think it also develops my relationship with the student. I also like to put students in groups and assign different students the responsiblity to share the groups' ideas with the large group. I think this takes the pressure off of just one student. This is a difficult issue because sometimes students just need a lot of time to build their confidence.
For those students that are not directly participating in Q & A sessions, I try to get them involved with a progression of questions. Start with closed ended questions that relate to the topic but are generally more personal in nature that they will have a response to. Then move into progressively more complex open ended questions that become more relative topic specific. All the while, encouraging students with positive reinforcement.
Hi Doris- welcome to Ed 103! thanks for your great suggestions to encourage student participation. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Strategies to involve non-responsive students need to be tailored to the individual. Some useful strategies are: asking the student to expand on another's answer; asking the student if he or she agrees with the answer given (and why or why not); asking the student to answer a question with an expample from his or her experience; and reinforcing the participation even if the answer is not correct.
Hi Jesse- Welcome to ED 103! Here's a question from an ethics class I teach."What if you knew that a component of a toy your company was manufacturing contained something toxic. Pulling the toy would probably result in closure of the company and loss of your job and many others'. What would you do?"
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
As a new instructor, I want to ensure full class participation. Would you recommend a“what if question,” to start off the questioning?
I like to make the class sort of like a game show. It makes it both fun and entertaining!
HI Misty- Welcome to ED 103! Thanks for your post which really illustrates the advantages of "Wait-Time" Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career and Happy New Year! Susan
I think paying attention to how much time you allow is definitely one of the most effective ways. It seems as though most students do not want to go "first", out of fear they may be incorrect. As more people begin to respond, it takes the attention away from a specific person, shows that not everyone knows the correct answer, and makes speaking up more comfortable.
Misty Walker
I find that by relating the questions to current events that are relative to the students increases participation. However, there are some students that never participate unless directly called upon.
Hi Scott - welcome to Ed 103! It is always delicate trying to engage the tentative students without making them more uncomfortable. I liked your suggestion about referring to something the student may have mentioned previously. I try to keep notes on my students that remind me if they have had some special experiences or accomplishments that I can ask them about in class when it is relevant. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career and I hope you have an excellent 2010! susan
Hi Diane- welcome to ED 103! I agree with you, adult students have so much experience and love to share. It adds so much to our classrooms! Best wishes for an excellent 2010! Susan
Gear questions that are based on their experiences as adults so they can use the knowledge they have already aquired to guide them to the correct answer or ask approriate questions.
As previously noted by others, knowing what some of the more shy students may be drawn toward has been helpful. There are always those outing folks that push the conversations long and confidently. Engaging someone through indirect focus on what was brought up earlier by a tentative student can be very helpful in non-responsive student participation
to try to ask qiestions and learn students' learnig abilities do they learn by visual auditory kenetics etc and you ccan use diffferent approches and methods to teach the entire class to meet everypones best laerning abilities
Hi Jeff - Thank you for your post to the forum and some good ideas on getting students involved in the class dynamic! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
i like to involve all students
I use several methods to involve everyone the best I can. First during lecture if I ask a question I will try to build on an answer by asking someone to elaborate on the answer given second I list anywhere from one question to 7 or 8 questions on the board at the end of class while they are cleaning up. I then have them answer at least one of them for class the next day. I will ask random students for there question and answer at the beggining of class the next day. I will have Q&A at some point during the class and make sure I answer them all.
