Hi Norrisjean, I hope that some of the suggestions will work for you and your students!
Susan
Susan Polick
I am challenged, at times, attempting to get the entire group to participate during discussions. I rely most often on open-end questions such as, "what's your opinion" or selection of a student by name. Often this method is ineffective in bringing everyone into the conversation.
Application of the questioning guidelines will make a difference in my approach to encouraging the students to participate in the group discussions. I intend to implement some of the strategies, which have been suggested, during my next meeting with the students.
Norrisjean
Hi Jeremy , Excellent examples of ways to foster critical thinking! Best wishes - Susan
Susan Polick
I do call the students by names in my undergraduate and graduate classes. They feel good and are being motivated to participate in the class. I do have an open ended questions and answer sessions at every session of my class when I walked to the class. And at the end of the class I do ask them again; do they have any questions for the class and for me to answer.
For me it is with out a doubt open ended questions. I also use sequence questions. "what would you do next" "What would you look for" "what symptoms do they have" These types of questions keep my students engaged.
Open ended have worked the best for me. The students are not afraid to answer if its more of a thought than rather than right or wrong.
It depends on the course as some courses might demand specificity in response although most of the time, especially in Gen Ed courses open-ended questions work better than the narrow ones.
Dr. Kim
I start with easier, factual-recall questions to set a baseline, then move on to the critical thinking questions. This way all of the students had a quick refresher of the concepts before they had to apply them.
Hi John, Thanks for your post to the forum. Absolutely, the more we can demonstrate the relevancy of what we are teaching the better! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I have always used similar life experiences that would be relevant to the subject so that they may make a connection to the content.
Hi Dave, Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree that we should make our expectations clear from the beginning. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hit the ground running on the first day of class with substantial content.
Take attendance: roll call, clipboard, sign in, seating chart.
Introduce teaching assistants by slide, short presentation, or self-introduction.
Hand out an informative, artistic, and user-friendly syllabus.
Give an assignment on the first day to be collected at the next meeting.
Hi Jennelle, Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, when students see the relevance of what they are learning they are so much more engaged. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Jason, Thanks for your post to the forum. I really like the incremental approach you use in questioning! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Roy, Thanks for your post to the forum. Students do really enjoy role-playing and get a lot from it. I find that it really increases retention of information. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I try to put the topic in the context of their daily lives. I as questions about what they would do in a specific situation.
I've had great success with open ended discussion questions, and short to the point questions. In new chapters going over new concepts, I like to use shorter, simplier concept questions to build confidence and then when reviewing increase the difficulty and then when it gets close to an exam, have a discussion focused on the students responses, I think tailoring the questions to real life events or in some appropriate cases pop culture helps alot.
In like to use, "role Playing", to get the students to participate in class room discussions
Hi DeOnn, Thanks for your post to the forum. You are obviously really comfortable using "wait-time" ! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
One technique that I have found that works is to ask a question to the group and get comfortable in the silence. I will wait up to a minute before speaking. Usually that either tells me two things: No one or very few understand what I just covered, or I have a class full of shy students.
