In my US History lectures, I will implement the 20-30 min. lecture followed by discussion. I like to get my students to "talk back to history" by analyzing who created the history that we know and what the conditions were that surrounded production of that history. I will include outlines with blanks in them that they can fill out together during the discussions. That way, I can be sure that they leave with good study notes.
Actively involving the students in the course material through hands on activities and exercises i found it really reinforces the material and seems to make them remember the material more perfoundly.
i have a very involved component in my course and i have found that by having the class show me how it works on the board with the Schematic it works great
A topic I usually talk about is about extinction. Ways I could activate active learning is to carry out an exercise which involves the food chain and how based on available food, security, shelter, and abiotic influences, a species or popoulation may go extinct and open up new niche space for another species. By doing this on a smaller scale both in number and time it would bring home how the human race's activites can modulate the species present and truly illustrate the disadvantages and advantages of various activites on the flora and fauna present. It also allows for analytical skills to develop in which I ask students to tell me why animals may or may not be around 10, 50, or 10000 years ago.
Hi Kenny,
Students need a visual, and the whiteboard acts as an effective visual teaching tool.
Patricia Scales
Much of our technical information is delivered through lecture. This includes circuit calculations. Using the whiteboard and having the students calculate circuit resistance problems as a group adds an air of fun and lightness to what is often a pretty dull lesson. The students become activly engaged when they are given the marker and draw out the circuits on the whiteboard before the class.
Hi Robert,
Group learning is fun for students, and they will surprise you with the superb job they can do by putting their brains together.
Patricia Scales
Hi Stan,
This is a very practical exercise, and I am sure your students enjoy it very much. When we make learning apply to the real world students really get into it.
Patricia Scales
Hi Karl,
You are on point! Students enjoy learning so much more whenever hands-on learning is involved.
Patricia Scales
As an automotive instructor and the courses I teach, all lectures are the same every phase. What I started to do awhile ago was to stop during lectures and get actual training aids out and do hands on and give students tasks to perform relating it to what we discussed in lecture.
I teach a service writing class. We have a lesson on the job descriptions in a dealership. During this lesson, I split up the class into groups of employees and they learn how they would need to interact with each other in the workplace, asking questions and for assistance from the other joc departments.
One topic is the Service-Profit Chain, which I typically lecture. Next class, I plan to divide the class into groups and have them create their own business using the Service-Profit chain, and hopefully provide examples how it would yield revenue growth and profitability.
Hi Paul,
Repetitiveness is a good thing. Most of our students learn through repetitious.
Patricia Scales
Hi Carol,
Yes, students learn so much more when they can do it.
Patricia Scales
Hi Carol,
This is a great way to get students to apply what they have learned. It is amazing how great of a job students can do when the present.
Patricia Scales
Hi Wendy,
This sounds like a great idea, and it also sounds like fun. You may want to blindfold the students. Students love having fun while learning.
Patricia Scales
Although the lecture format is the main technique used in my class it is broken up with powerpoints, questions asked to the group as well as individuals and repetition where I repeat key points and the group repeats key points to make sure they are listening and retaining.
Hello Eric,
This is the John Dewey philosophy, learning by doing. The world is our classroom.
Carol Myslinski
Hello,
I would have a mini-lecture on the characteristics of a great thesis; then I would tell students to look for arguments in the newspapers, on television, websites. Afterwards, student would have to analyze which arguments were the most effective and why. This would be presented to the class.
Carol Myslinski
We lecture about spices and where they come from. We also have samples that the students smell and taste as a group. I think it would be further beneficial to get them into teams of 2 and with their eyes closed have their partner test them on the different spices/herbs. There could then be a discussion and project to have them come up with dishes that use them.
