Lecture Like a Pro Workshop
L&TC, 10/6/2018
p. 1
The Active Learning Continuum
Where are you on the Active Learning Continuum?
Continuum of course objectives
Acquisition of knowledge ------Acquisition of skills
Interaction in your classroom
Limited interaction ------Extensive interaction
Levels of control
Need total control ------Need little control
Willingness to take a risk
Conservative------Willing to risk
Level of student experience
Inexperienced------Experienced
From Using Active Learning in College Classes: A Range of Options forFacultyTracey Sutherland and Charles Bonwell, eds. New Directions forTeaching and Learning, 67, Fall 1996, Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Why Break Up A Lecture?
1)Depending on how entertaining the speaker is, listening can be painful.
2)Attention wanes at 8-15 minutes.
3)Students take ownership for their learning and realize that they can and must do things with the material to learn it.
4)Students get the chance to interact with others in the class.
5)Instructors can check-in about comprehension.
6)Using a student’s own behavior for the basis of recall takes advantage of the self-reference effect in memory.
7)Recall for passive listening is poor
8)Allows for reflection and development of metacognition.
From Zull, J. (2002) The Art of Changing the Brain. Stylus Publishing.
Lecture-Interrupting Activities
Notice that most of these require very little preparation--
Many experts suggest book-ending 10-minute lectures with activities.
1) Questionswithin students’ notes
The instructor poses a question or problem for the student to answer in his or her notes. For example, the instructor might ask students to explain how the current topic fits with the overall course goals or Monday’s lecture, or the overall field.
2) Think-pair-share (Lyman 1981)
The instructor poses a question or problem. Individuals are given a minute to reflect on and write briefnotes in response. Students pair up with someone sitting near them and share their answers verbally fortwo to three minutes, or they may choose to work together to create a better answer. The instructorchooses a few pairs to give summaries of their answers, or collects for grading.
3) Think/Pair/Square
As above, except after 2 students discuss the issue, they then get together with another pair andconfirm their thinking. The 4 students come to consensus.
4) Videos
Short clips from publishers’ videos or popular media can apply concepts or introduce a topic. *After the video, ask students to summarize the main points in their notes for 1-2 minutes.
5) One minute paper (Wilson 1986)
Have students reflect on your lecture by writing answers to questions like, • What was the most important concept?What's not clear?How does today's topic connect with ______?
6) Muddiest point
At the end of a lecture, ask students to jot on note cards the most confusing or “muddiest” part of the material. Collect these and look for clarification opportunities in the next class.
7) Exam questions (debriefing and practice)
Use old exam questions to connect class with exams, to give them practice and to let students knowwhat to expect. Alternately, have students write exam questions and turn them in.
8) Clarification pause / note review / share notes
Simply say, take a minute to look over your notes to see if they make sense and then, check in with your neighbor. Allow students time to assimilate information and compare notes.
9) Predict the demo
Make prediction for the result of an experiment (real or described). Do the experiment (or explain the results) and discuss whathappened.
10) Active Multiple Choice
Have students hold up fingers or cards to indicate the answer of a multiple-choice true/false, or yes/notype question or use the Clickers /Personal response systems wherestudents use remote controls to answer questions. Each answer is sent to a computer, and class datacan be presented for all to see.
11) Background knowledge/ misconception check.
The instructor asks a few open-ended or true false items about prior knowledge to assess students’ familiarity with the topic.
12) Attitude survey/questionnaire
The instructor provides a scale or questionnaire that measures attitudes toward the topic. Student’s answers can be collected, and overall course results can be shared. (Use an established scale, and you might be able to find national norms. Just google up “questionnaire about _____” and you’ll probably get something.)
13) Rating or ranking items on a list.
When presenting a list of information which students could have differing levels of usage or agreement, have students rate or rank each item and compare student’s ratings.
14) Mnemonics practice with a list
Have students stop and create a mnemonic device or memory strategy using the first letters of each word to make a sentence. Share these for 1-2 minutes.
15) Sequentially ordering steps
For a list of procedures, present the steps out of order, and in small groups, have students put them in sequence.
16) Memory matrix
Distribute a matrix with row and column headings representing categorizing variables for information covered in lecture. Have student fill in the relevant cell information. For example:
Structure / Functions / EnzymesMouth
Esophagus
Stomach
Pancreas
17. Figure/Diagram explanation
After presenting a complicated figure or diagram, ask students to describe it with a few sentences in their own words in their notes.
18. Quote for All Reasons (Staley, 2003)
Hand out quotes from lecture or famous author on the topic, one per student. The student has a minute to look at the quote and then another minute to present. The student will state whether she agrees or disagrees with it and offer 2 pieces of supporting evidence from experience or their text.
19. Presence Diaries (Jacob & Elser, 1997)
At the beginning of class, have students rate their 1) mental, 2) physical, and 3) emotional states in terms of readiness to learn. This helps students identify the outside influences of their learning and reminds them to responsibility for learning.
20. Wake Up Call (Eitington, 1996) –not for fall quarter & not often
Give each student a numbered slip before class. Set an electric timer to buzz at 5 or 10 minute intervals. When the timer goes off, call a random number. The student holding that number must 1) ask a question, 2) make a comment, or 3) summarize the last few minutes of content.
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Apply It!
Identify your most sopoforic lecture or part of a lecture. Why is it so deadly?
Pick at least 2 of the strategies above to include or invent your own. Describe here.
When will these be included?
What prep do you need to do before including these?
What will you look for to see if these activities help?
References and Further Reading
Websites
Activities to Break-Up a Lecture:
Tips for the first day of class website:
University of Arizona, College of Medicine Lecture Guide:
Other Resources
Bonwell, Charles and James Eison, (Eds). 1991. Active Learning: Creating Excitement in theClassroom. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Reports, No. 1
MacGregor, J. James Cooper, Karl Smith, Pamela Robinson (Eds). 2000. Strategies for EnergizingLarge Classes: From Small Groups to Learning Communities. New Directions for Teaching andLearning, No. 81, 128 pages, May 2000
Leamson, R. (1999). Thinking about teaching and learning: Developing habits of learning with first-year college and university students. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Staley, C. (2003). 50 Ways to Leave Your Lectern.Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Sutherland, T. and Charles Bonwell, (Eds). 1996. Using Active Learning in College Classes: A Range of Options for Faculty. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, Number 67, Fall 1996 Jossey-BassPublishers
Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered teaching.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.