Hi Scott - As an instructor, I really get a kick out of playing Jeopardy with my students as well. I guess almost everyone has a competitive streak! Susan
I have used the game Jeopardy.
I had the students wok in groups and then the two groups would play against each other with another groups questions.
My students seem to like it
Hi Patricia- Thanks for your post to the forum. Although critics may call it "hand holding", helping our students feel comfortable in our classrooms is important! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I like to ask if anyone has had a real life experience that reinforces or contradicts the answer to the question or situation. This usually generates stimulating conversation. I find it critical that the students need to feel comfortable and "not be judged" on answering questions. When this "atmosphere" is in place, the questions and comments come freely.
having an open debate in the subject and dividing the class in 2 or 3 teams.
HI Pam- Thanks for your post to the forum. As you say, sharing their own experiences demonstrates to the class the relvance of what they are learning. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Billie Jo - Thanks for your post to the forum. having your class of diverse majors give their specific needs for the software must also impress upon the class the usefullness of the software. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Robert - Thanks for your post to the forum. You give some good suggestions on how to check for understanding and get our students involved in active learning. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
When teaching application-oriented material, I use questions like "What would you do if this situation occurs..." or "How would I do that...". This helps reinforce application of the material I am teaching. This also helps the class wake up and begin to process the information. I like to follow with, "What is the best way to..." This compares the answers and comes to a "best practice" solution.
Make the question relate back to the students background. For example, I will asked a class of multiple majors why should they learn to use a certain software and I will get multiple responses for each major.
We have broken down in to an informal group and gone around the class asking for any real life scenarios they would like to share.
I as well contributed which seemed to open the flow much more easily and sparked an atmoshpere of realism they enjoyed and were interested in.
Hi Roger -Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree- having students get used to the sort of open-ended questions they will encounter in their careers is so important. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Brian- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are obviously doing a great job at questioning! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Before class begins, I write the day's outline/agenda on the board and include a few questions for class consideration and discussion; however, I do not limit the questions that I ask to those that I write on the board. This allows the students to consider a number of questions for a time before we arrive at that point in the agenda. Once we reach any given question, the students seem less reluctant to participate. Too, this method encourages the students to reflect on the materials that they read and we will be discussing and causes them to conjure and raise questions of their own that they might otherwise have left unanswered.
Further, I help students feel more comfortable by pausing and allowing them time to process the materials recently discussed so that their responses are intelligent. No matter the level of correctness of any given response, I commend the student's efforts and participation. If the response is incorrect, I follow-up their response with additional questions which will ultimately guide them to a well reasoned and correct response. Lastly, at other time, I allow students to pose questions to the class and even attempt to answer those raised by their colleagues. Students seem to understand and retain materials very well when there are collective contributions.
Open ended questions also. As if they were actually in a working environment.
Roger Jamison
Hi Nolan- Thanks for your post to the forum. Feeling comfortable with wait-time takes some practice but as you point out it pays off. Best wishes- Susan
Open ended questions often lead to new concepts and ideas to explore thus prolonging the questioning process.
Using/asking open-ended questions works well because the students know there is no one correct answer; therefore, they will not be afraid of participating.
Silence is indeed important. I think it's necessary to let at least 5 seconds (or more) go by after asking a question. Although it is natural to feel a bit uncomfortable with the silence, it gives students a chance to formulate an answer without feeling rushed.
I am an instructor for students when they are off campus on an their internship. I explaining what they are required to do and what is expected of them, before they leave campus, and asking questions really helps them to understand exactly waht is expected of them. It also helps me to verify if they understand the requirements.
