Welcome to the Instructional Development Unit, University of the West Indies, Mona blog on advancing teaching and learning in higher education. The purpose of this blog is to provide faculty in higher education institutions in the Caribbean with a way of contributing to the conversations on teaching and learning in higher education. We will explore a number of issues that impact on how we facilitate and support active, student-centred learning in higher education institutions.
One of the major challenges that faculty in higher education institutions face is teaching large classes. Faculty members often complain about class sizes; some exceed 200 students and trying to find those methods and strategies that support active and engaged learning in these kinds of environments is often very challenging. As faculty, we often believe that there is a correlation between class size and student learning. However, what is even more important than class size is providing students with learning environments that are engaging and offer opportunities for active involvement in the learning process.
Lecturing is the oldest method used in higher education institutions and seems to be the easiest method for teaching large classes. However, traditional uses of lectures in the higher education classes do not feature much discussion and interaction with the students. One way to engage students in the lecture is by using questions to solicit students’ responses to certain key issues as well as to allow them to ask questions during the lecture. This way, students can be actively engaged in the process which supports the development of critical thinking skills.
Other strategies that can be used to support active engagement in large classes are the minute paper or free write activities where participants are asked to write for 2-3 minutes on a topic or in response to a question that you have developed for the session. In addition, you can use the Think-Pair-Share active learning strategy that engages students with material on an individual level, in pairs, and finally as a large group.
Of course there are other strategies that you can use. Is there a strategy that you have found to be effective in your large class?
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One of the approaches that can be used to engender thought and discussion is to issue a pre-written index cards to classmates. The card would contain a question or comments about the content being study. At an appointed time students should be asked to read their questions or comment and then respond.
ReplyDeleteRather than "lecturing" in the traditional manner why not when possible use a case scenario to lead a discussion and generate interest and illustrate content? I am a growing fan of case-based teaching and learning. This approach can engage other techniques such as "Think-Pair-Shre" etc as you ask questions on the case. Leave 10 minutes at the end to summarise the key points.
ReplyDeleteAnother point is to encourage .... if not demand that students pre-read prior to the lecture. That makes it all more engaging when students have a good sense of what the lecture is about and can engage you with more meaningful comments and questions... which really means that they are using the time in the classroom more effectively.
I recall not having a clue about many lectures during my student years and often falling asleep. A quick pre-read the night before might have better stimulated my mind.... without the side effects of coffee!! :)
Another method that I use in my large lectures is to post the notes on-line and encourage students to read them before coming to class. This then facilitates robust and beneificial discussions on the various topics in the syllabus.
ReplyDeletePreparing the notes and posting them in OURVLE is not a "spoon feeding" exercise as some people think. The lecturer now has the ability to direct the discussion and students are better able to contribute, since they are not busy taking down notes. The lecturer is in a better position to build a community of learners including him/herself. Yes, you will find that some students will avoid attending classes, since they have the complete notes, but these are the ones who would have been disinterested in the subject matter, anyway.
This method can be tried and experiences shared in this forum.
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ReplyDeleteSoTL Workshop - "Getting Started in the SoTL" (October 6, 2011 at 2pm-4:30pm)
ReplyDeleteUSING RESPONSE CARDS IN YOUR CLASSROOM: One of the simplest ways to engender thought and discussion is to ask participants to write a response on a blank index card. These cards, once written on, can be kept by the writer to ponder and to stimulate contributions to class-wide discussion. Or the cards can be collected, shuffled, and distributed to participants (each of whom then receives a card whose author is unknown). Finally, the cards can be passed around a group so that each participant can read what others have written. There are many things you can ask participants to write on their response cards. These include a question, an answer, an expectation, a solution, a definition, a belief, a fact, a hypothesis, a preference or even a proverb etc.
ReplyDeleteResponse cards are very much like ARS.
ReplyDeleteKEEPING THEM ENGAGED...
ReplyDeleteIn our classrooms we want our students to be engaged with the content, with their peers and certainly with us the teacher. In this regard, it is important that the university teacher provide activities that have a good potential of keeping learners engaged and actively learning. Traditionally, many teachers have resorted to using questions and answers to keep students engaged. For me the use of question and answers to make the lecture interactive is a strategy that is begging for reinvention. Too few students are engaged when we pose a question here and when we pose a question there. Oftentimes, students tune out when we pose questions and of course others pray that we do not call on them. Very few students are actively thinking about the question and developing a plausible response. We need to develop strategies that can get all students doing something in the classroom. Higher levels of learning involve active and purposeful engagement with complex abstracted phenomena hence case studies, role plays, think, pair and share, demonstrations, exercises, games, video clips, short writing exercises and other strategies are all helpful in getting students thinking about the issues and of course keeping their minds engaged.