EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING - AND - 10-15 MINS LECTURES
I believe that we have short attention span; I develop my lectures for 10 to 15 minutes, then proceed to do work-out activities or document production and let students o something with the information they have received. I do this teaching and learning strategy especially with technology or computer softwares.
I first SHOW AND TELL
THEN STUDENTS DO AND SHOW THEIR UNDERSTANDING BY DOCUMENTS PRODUCTIONS.
Jaye,
I would agree that this is a tied & true method & I don't think anyone would condemn it as a worthy approach.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I tend to teach in this method because I personally believe it is most applicable to the real world. You must understand a skill before you can supplement it to an actual theoretically perspective. Theory should work in tandem to practice. You cannot learn how to play a piano, run a mile, or shoot a movie from reading about it. Neither can you create a website, manage a group, or write a paper from a lecture. The lecture is and should be the supplement not the main forum. Perhaps these methods of preferred reasoning from the Generation Y, is simply because it is the most effective practice and should not be looked down a upon simply because it is a newer idea.
Elizabeth,
this is a great idea & throwing in some question & answer/discussion is a great idea.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree with you. I too try and keep lectures brief but informative. After the lecture we break apart and do group work.
I finish with a very casual "lecture" at the end of class to reiterate any important content and give an overveiw for the next days content.
Sonny,
this is a great idea, especially the question idea as this really helps them engage with the material & the key concepts.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Great strategy. I do similar routine as well. I would talk about 10 to 15 min duration. Then I would change it up by allowing students to do few demo themselves. I have also allowed them to even create questions based on the lecture and I would quiz them based on what they wrote. It works quite effectively.
I have to agree Emma. I sometimes think my students have a difficult time staying engaged
in the subject matter even for that length of time.
David,
the periodic breaks & mixing it up are a great strategy.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Some of the courses I instruct have several full days of powerpoint presentation at the beginning of the course and I can see the class losing interest quickly, so I am going to have to find a way to break it down to 10 or 15 minute segments to keep their attention , as they are mostly gen Yers. Thanks for this idea.
John,
and the reality is that we are all busy & the lecture method is much easier & time effective for us to use, but variety can really aid in teaching/learning.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
This is an area I need to improve on: sometimes the way the lesson is "outlined", it can lead an instructor into a presentation "rut". A feeling of "just get through the lesson, so we can get the class on to the application of knowledge".I am trying to do a better job of adapting older outlines to a newer way of reaching&teaching Gen Y.
I have tried to look for pauses/touch-points to draw the students out/interact/show application "right then and there". This affords an opportunity for the students to add to the discussion. I can 'take the temperature' of the class, as well as see if I'm doing a good enough job of reaching the Gen Y student, or boring them. It's a balance and a challenge when courses that were 'written by and designed for Gen X and earlier' are being adapted for Gen Y.
That is a good thought. I've been back and forth over lecture, as often they feel long and drawn out even to me! ;) And I'm slowly starting to work this process into my own classroom.
That is a good thought. I've been back and forth over lecture, as often they feel long and drawn out even to me! ;) And I'm slowly starting to work this process into my own classroom.
Maria ,
this is exactly right as they see that immediate connection to the "real world."
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Maria ,
this is exactly right as they see that immediate connection to the "real world."
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Experiential learning is similar to Andragogy where students learn better if they find applicability to what they are doing in the classroom.
Emma,
this is a good strategy as they are able to immediately apply the concepts learned which helps with retention.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
