jean-rene,
this is a great way to keep the group engaged.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Like a Chef instructor I retain students attention
in different ways.
1-lecture about the subject, not over 30 minutes
2-Demo: making of by myself and explanations step by step answer to the questions.
3-Students practice.
I totally agree with you. I teach an anatomy lab and review in a presentation format. I will show anatomical structures and ask pertinent questions to prepare students for their upcoming tests. It is a great way to keep students engaged. Yet, I have also seen that it is a nice way to change things up in the classroom too. The variety of different presentation techniques helps to keep interest, too.
Brenda,
yes, these little breaks in the lecture are a great technique to keep the listners engaged.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Keeping the students involved with the lecture is very important. I find that by creating stopping points in my lectures to do individual or group activities that relate to the topic help to not only keep them involved but also help them understand the topic.
Mignonne,
yes, we can never forget the "so what" aspect of every presentation.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I try to keep my presentations as close to the practical as possible. Giving them real life examples of situations which they might encounter, keeps them focussed and they can easily relate to it.
Dee,
this is a great approach to getting students involved & hopefully they're realizing that the more they present, it actually helps them learn the content even more.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I've started getting the students, either one or two on a voluntary basis, to become involved with the class presentation. So far they're helping with the powerpoints as well as reading off questions to practice their skills with terminology. So far it's working well. Frees me up to be much more mobile within the classroom. Also helps engage those kinesthetic people who need to be more active rather than just sit and try to learn which is so boring for them they act out.
I teach psychiatric nursing to RN students and they always appreciate specific examples of our topic of discussion from my own experiences with psychiatric patients. Learning from and remembering a patient who exemplifies a mental health disorder or problem, the students can then use that as a model when caring for a similar patient.
Sandy Mishkin
Sarah,
I agree; & no matter how discouraging this may be to us, it is the sad reality sometimes.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I work hard to make sure my students are involved with the class by asking them to participate with demos and answer questions. However, I still run into students that just do not care. Even when I remind them of their future goals, they would rather go out partying with friends. Although it is our job to help the students reach their goals, the fact remains that if they do not want to be involved then there is very little we can do to change their minds.
I agree, using real life examples shows the students how what they are learning will help the in the career they chose. I also stress to them that what they are learning is extremly important to them succeeding in the real world.
Mark,
yes, whenever we can combine the theory of lecture with the real world application our students will be more engaged & probably connect with the material better too.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Our Classes are a little different in that we have lab time as well as lecture. It seems that sometimes it is easier to bring the students into the lab to disscuss a certain subject. That way they are not just recieving the lecture but have something real to apply it to before they are graded on lab performance.
Krishna,
That's great as this helps pull them in & get them engaged in the chat & the content.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Teaching online presents the challenge of not being able to see your students to guage their understanding and attention. The only way I know my students are paying attention and involved is if they type in the chat pod. I always start the and explain that they are encouraged to use the chat pod throughout the chat time. This helps students feel invited into the process. I try to make sure I have a question for the students on every slide to elicit a response from them.
willy,
Real life examples are a great way of illustrating the lessons & content that we are trying to communicate to our students.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I try to engage the student by relating the subject at hand by applying examples of things they may have experienced in the past, or things that they may experience in the future so that they pay more attention to the subject, and how it applies to them.
That has worked well for me also. I try to balance "talking head time" with hands on reinforcement activities to keep the students interested and also to allow them to apply critical thinking skills to class material.
