I agree with you that when you have longer lectures it can be difficult, but I tried the pause/break and allowed them Q&A cards and there was a better selection of questions. I also split the class into the questioners and the answerers. Each section they change their role also. A little fun.
Vivian,
I think you will like the results you get when you segment your instruction like this. This method really helps to keep the students engaged in the learning process. Let me know how it works out for you.
Gary
I did not realize the adult attention span is 15-18 minutes. The concern is most class lecture times are 50 minutes or longer which means content and information becomes overwhelming and lost. Will work on trying to implement 20-25 minute segments with alternate instructional activities to help students refocus and retain information.
Matthew,
By breaking up the content into the 20 minute segments and then having an activity or discussion you will enable the students to refocus themselves for the next segment. You will have be helping your students to have a higher content retention rate as a result.
Gary
Ann,
Change of pace and variety are two very important parts of instructional planning. By having a Q&A session or and activity after 20 minutes of content will help your students to reset their minds and get ready for the next class segment.
Gary
It can sometimes be hard to break up a lecture into 15 minute sections. The classes I teach often have 4-6 hour lectures, and it can be hard to keep the students on task after the first hour or two. I will have to look into ways to implament Q&A times or other things to give them a break.
