Q&A minus the Q...
I try to make lectures an interactive experience - my presentations have pictures, video, and I always give a demo, but a lot of times when I ask a question - there is no response. Theses aren't hard questions, and there are usually no wrong answers, I think it's just that this group does not feel comfortable speaking in front of others, whether it be me or their peers.
How do you make students feel comfortable enough to answer questions in class? What techniques would you use for this?
Great response. Pairing up the students one shy with an outgoing student helps bring them out of their shell.
Why not ask a specific student by name - Socratic like?
William,
One technique I use is to assign a question to two person teams. I give them a few minutes to come up with an answer. By dividing the class up into two person teams, can be larger if the enrollment is large, I get discussion going because each team is going to answer my question. I give each team a question so they are working on their answers at the same time. I call time and then go around the room/lab and have each team give their answers. Often times these answers raise other questions and we have good discussions because with this method I was able to get them started talking.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
