make games that all can contribute to
I call on my students by name. I have also stated that they may see some of the questions they ask on the exam. It also gets them to really listen to each other's questions.
Yes I think as long as they are interested in the course they will always love to talk about it. And if the see how the teacher loves to talk about this subject.
I would say that getting students to participate are at times like having your teeth pulled! however, i typically go off of scenario based or What If scenarios to get the students thinking and also encourage them to think outside the box.
Hi Mike - Thanks for your post to the forum. What sort of scenarios do you use in your questioning?
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Cathy - Thanks for your post to the forum. The fish throwing theme is great! Here's a link to a fish company in Seattle that became a huge corporate HR training source. http://www.crmlearning.com/fish-video
Hi Bernadette- Thanks for your post to the forum. As another online instructor, I like your idea of "polling" to check if they are MIA. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Getting students to participate in asking questions is a sure way to see if they are knowledgeable about what your teaching them. It also keeps them engaged in classroom activities.
On the virtual campus when I am doing a chat/lecture I will "poll" the students..I will sometimes use a question not related to the topic just to see if they are paying attention while listening..
I have a unique techniqe that I use in the class that encourages great participation. I have a stuffed arcade fish that I will throw out to the students when I am "fishing" for answers. If the student does not know the answer they can throw the fish to another student for the answer. I call this Go Fish.
Open ended and scenario driven.
redirect questioning and praising students for correct answer.
HI Wayne- Having your students share their opinions is a very non-intimidating way to get all your students involved in the discussion. Nice work! Susan
When I need to get a discussion going, I sometimes begin by posing a hypothetical situation related to the topic that may be controversial. Each student is asked to share their opinion which usually opens the floor to a lively debate on the topic.
I have used the "think, pair, share" method in which I first ask the question and then ask the students to think for a moment about it and then write their response on a piece of paper.
I then have them get into pairs to share their answer and then we hear from each paring as a whole class.
playing games with prizes for answering
Hi Garry - I like that technique a lot! Funny how we are so much less intimidating when we are on the same level ( at least physically!)Best wishes- Susan
Hi Jacob- Thanks for a very nice example of good questioning technique! Susan
Hi Scott - There is no question! Students love to relate their personal experiences to what they are learning. Susan
I like to relate the course material to what the students enjoy and what they can relate too. It might be relating the material to current movies or music or it could be asking them what they'd do in particular situations that may occur in real life. I've gotten great responses from the students this way and a lot of participation.
