Barry Westling

Hi Pamela:
Discussions area always an effective way to bring new energy to a learning environment, especially with adult learners. Also, a student may gain a beeter understanding of a topic by hearing other viewpoints about it from their classmates.

Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Hi Darlene:
Videos are great. Another technique that may work well is having the instructor walk around the class, and just be in closer proximity to the student.

Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Hi Maribeth:
An excellent technique. Additionally, sometimes just having the instructor walk around and be in closer proximity may accomplish this as well.

Regards, Barry

Barry Westling

Hi Brenda:
Asking questions can be an effective way to engage students.

Some instructors use personal stories in a similar way, or have alternate assignments to use to break up a monotonous subject.

Regards, Barry

Pamela Laster

I find that opening the floor to group Q&A/group discussions always brings the class back to focus. Or sometimes just stopping and going totally off track for about five or ten minutes works too. It gives everyone’s mind a break.

Barry Westling

Hi Robert:
I find when students feel the topic has some direct benefit to them in a tangible way, they'll pay attention. The most likely way to do that is to keep topics related to the work setting, and the students active, involved in their learning, and participating. Passiively sitting and listening is hard for anyone, especially if it's not of interest to the participant.

Regards, Barry

Robert Baughman

For dry material, videos bring another perspectives.

Darlene Montes

Engagement is difficult at times. I like video's for some sections. I watch the video and make 10 to 15 questions that the students answer when they watch. THEN WE DISCUSSION THE KEY PIONT.

Maribeth Abbott

If I am losing the students due to "dry" material, I try to bring it into examples of how it is useful in our field. I also have students come to the board for Q & A, whether I give questions or other students ask them.

Barry Westling

Hi Brenda:
When we engage students, we invlove them in thier learning. Being involved "streches their thinking" and students retain more information and material.

Regards, Barry

Brenda Masoner

I have learned through the years that if the subject in class is not interesting to students it is hard to keep their attention. I try to make it more interesting and ask alot

Brenda Masoner

I agree with this. The subject needs to be something they are interested in.

Barry Westling

Hi Gary:
I think there are many techniques but keeping students attention is easier when students are interested in the topic, see there's something in it for them, and is related to the work setting they'll be involved with.

Regards, Barry

Gary Dufner

I so agree with the videos from this section. Time management for each subject you teach, and some classes get it right way and some classes take longer time for each section, and some sections need to be shortened or need to figure out another plan.

Barry Westling

Hi Diane:
Students get distracted by many things (tired, bored, don't understand, distracted, unfocused), so reengaging them sometimes requires changing how the course is being delivered.

Ask questions, have a student defend their answer, get students into groups, change to discussion from lecture - things like this tend to bring the focus back to topic, and once attention is restored, the learning and retention will probably improve.

Regards, Barry