Request that each and every student formulate one question on an index card as a review question. Place questions in a box and randomly select the card with the question. This strategy will give every student an opportunity to ask a question and not feel uncomfortabl
I redirect the question to the non-responsive students and ask for their comment. The students who are afraid of giving a wrong answer benefit from this strategy and become responsive.
At either the end of a class or to begin class the next day I ask the students "What did you 'pick up' today?" Share with the class two things that they learned, what interested them, made an impreesion on them, what they know today that they didn't know yesterday, etc. Works well to get a discussion going, summarize & clarify the information and helps me to assess their comprehension of the material that was presented.
Some strategies I have used in the past are to ask for volunteers for questions. If this does not involve all students, I will stand by non-responsive students so they can feel the proximity of me and be more willing to participate. if this still does not work, I would speak to the student after class and try to find out reasons why the student is not particiapting. Also, group activities are also used to help those shy students. Also, assigning specific parts of a project where each member provides a speech on a speciifc task is helpful.
This can be challenging in my class, because my chat are online and I don't actually "see" my students. If someone steps away from their computer, I can't tell. I do ask a lot of questions and watch to see who is regularly answering. If someone isn't saying anything, I first ask them questions to make sure they are there (ex. "how's the audio on your end?"). I try to ask them questions that aren't straight "do you know the answer" questions. Instead, I ask for examples of how the material we're discussing can be applied to their lives. For example, in a chat on motivational theory, I might ask what factors motivate that student in life, school or work in order to get them comfortable "speaking up" in class. Once they get a couple of responses out there, they usually lose some of their shyness. I also let my students know that there is absolutely no shame in offering an answer. In fact, giving the wrong answer is one of the best ways of learning the right one.
Hi Linda- Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, getting all your student involved in the discussion by allowing them to relate to their personal experiences with the concept is excellent as it does, as you mention it can elevate the conversation a level of higher thinking. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I find that asking the questions "How many of you have ever experienced..." opens the door for discussion. Students love to talk about themselves by sharing personal experiences. This then opens the door for critical thinking discussion.
When studnets are non-responsive, bringing real life examples into the discusstion seem to work in my class. It makes the student feel comfortable to be able to talk about something they know, rather than being shy about something they do not know.
In order to get non-responsive students to participate, I usually ease them into the class by doing an easy question and answer session after break to review concepts covered in the class thus far. I have each student pick out a question from a hat during break and then when we meet back in the classroom, I have each student read their question and answer it. I find that most of the non-responsive students in my class are just not confident in their answers so they will usually approach me during break and go over (discuss) their question and answer with me beforehand. After I give them praise, support, etc, they are more confident and I find them participating more in class throughout the quarter.
Hi Blake- Thanks for your post to the forum. For the student who is very shy or has a lack of confidence, your technique is especially valuable.
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
There are many ways mentioned in this thread to encourage student involvement. One method I have used. is to inform the student ahead of time the question I will ask them. This allows them the chance to prepare and not become embarassed.
I teach to military audiences and have a simple rule that I tell my classes. Everyone will answer a question and everyone gets at least 80% on the answer they give just for trying. Sometimes I am able to engage a reluctant student by asking them a followup to another question. Mostly it is about reading the students. You don't want to embarrass anyone but they need to be engaged. If you format the right question in the right way you can get an acceptable answer that makes the student feel good about being in the class.
Hi Susie- Thanks for your post to the forum. I really like your "Soft-ball" question idea. I agree that often the problem is not that the student is unprepared, it is more that they are shy or have self-esteem issues. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
While you do not want to appear to pick on students, you may often want to specifically call on students who are not participating. One way to do this is often to ask them what I would call a "soft ball" question - a question that has no right or wrong answer, a question that doesn't necessarily involve great knowledge of the material but allows them to feel comfortable answering questions in class. While we may often assume that students who aren't participating haven't read the material, many times it is more a matter of comfort. Throwing those students a "softball" question will allow them to overcome this discomfort.
Hi Brian - Thanks for your post to the forum. Sending your students home after class with the understanding that you will be asking them about something specific, allows students to do some thinking/research about the topic in advance. This will often make the shy or unsure student to be more inclined to participate. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I teach a class that relies on repetition for learning to understand certain procedures some of them take more than 12 steps. We line up in class and each student recites a stage in the procedure. Also, I like to leave the class with a question that they need to have an answer for in the morning before class begins, I have them give me the answer in the morning and we have a discussion about it before we begin and sometimes the student who normally does not engage in the class has a question pretaining to that question.
I agree, once I get to know my class, particularly the shy ones, I get them to do group work and rotate the member who delivers the group's response. I also try to ensure that the other more extrovert students go first as this seems to encourage participation.
I will ask that student what they think about the topic we are decussing about first. Just to get the student more comfortable talking in class. Later I will call on them to answer a question.
Reading the responses here is very helpful. I'm a fairly new instructor (7 mo.) and feel I need to improve questioning in a way that gets more voluntary responses from quiet students. So far I've used small group discussions or calling on specific students to get their input.
Hi Kari - Thanks for your post to the forum! Yes, by making sure that our students know we are available they are more comfortable asking questions. This really does mean "being available" though. An office door that is closed during our Office Hours can be really intimidating to a student. An open door - with a smile and a wave from an instructor is welcoming and comforting. In fact, at our new campus, we eliminated offices totally in favor of open areas with cubicles. Took some getting used to by faculty, but the students love it! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
