Professional Development
Courses & Resources
Enhancing Student Retention
About this Group
Public
Activity Feed Discussions Blogs Bookmarks Files
patrick mcilhargey
patrick mcilhargey

The 60-second term paper

The suggestion of the 60-second term paper is good if the duration of the class is 60 minutes or less. I teach longer sessions of up to four hours in length, sometimes at night. I find it a challenge just to have the students' attention at the end of the session. Is there a way to adapt this stategy to longer sessions?

Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Hi Patrick,
I teach courses that run 3 hours in length at night. I break the course up into segments and use the 60 second term paper within those segments. Also by using the segments the students know when we have finished a segment and when we are moving into another one. This helps them to refocus their attention as we pause at the end of one and the do an activity to introduce the new segment. The human brain is always seeking variety while not wanting change. By having an understanding of the brain you can plan for variety within your instruction while keeping the routine the same. This way you can keep the interest of your students as well as their focus.
Gary

Sign In to comment