Teaching Excellence Handbook

Interactive techniques

Student interaction in class is engaging and helps students achieve learning outcomes. There are many brief techniques that instructors can use to facilitate interaction. Many are included in this online site prepared by the University of Central Florida. Interactive techniques. Retrieved from: http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/TeachingAndLearningResources/CourseDesign/Assessment/content/101_Tips.pdf

Classroom discussion

Discussion is an effective technique of instruction when students need opportunities to apply concepts that they have learned from reading or lecture. Students have an opportunity to express themselves and gain feedback from their peers as well as you, the instructor. They can build their communication skills which leads to greater learning. They can learn how to pose an argument and defend that argument with evidence. 

You can assist students with discussion by establishing expectations for the discussion. These can include being respectful, focusing upon the topic, and being open to new perspectives. Let the students add guidelines to your beginning list. You can also facilitate better discussions by being prepared. Note this webpage by Stanford Teaching Commons: “How to lead a discussion”. https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/resources/teaching/small-groups-and...

It is important to ask questions that will get students to think, analyze, and apply. If you are discussing a reading or piece of literature, ask students about the main point, why the reading was relevant (or not?), if others agree and why or why not. You could give students a problem based upon the concepts you are discussing or a scenario or story that embeds the concepts. See this collection of questions prepared by Stanford Teaching Commons:https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/resources/teaching/student-teacher-...

Students should not be put in the position of trying to guess what the instructor is thinking. It is also important to create an environment in which students feel free to participate without fear of ridicule. You can help students be more comfortable with discussion by having them prepare for the discussion prior to class and bring in their responses. Or, you can give students 3-5 minutes at the beginning of class to write down their thoughts about the learning for that day based upon their preparation. See this additional site prepared by Stanford Teaching Commons about “how to get students to talk in class”. https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/resources/teaching/small-groups-and-discussions/how-get-students-talk-class

Perhaps the most important means of maintaining an open and lively classroom atmosphere is positive reinforcement—for example, acknowledging students who answer questions correctly. This encourages them to continue participating actively in class or lab.

When summing up information presented in class, another tactic for motivating students is to refer by name to students who made good comments—e.g., “As Joe pointed out . . .” or “As Jane said. . . .” It is very important not to embarrass students who volunteer incorrect answers to questions during class. The instructor should try as diplomatically as possible to show that the student’s error is not totally unreasonable, that it is a good guess, but that it is not right.

Small group work

Characteristics of effective groups in classes include:

1. Interdependence of group members:Individual success depends upon group success.
2. Interaction and contributions of all members:Social interaction promotes sharing of ideas, support, and resources.
3. Accountability from both individuals within groups and groups as a whole:Each student contributes to the work of the group and everyone is responsible.
4. Use of teamwork skill sets:Interpersonal and small group skills are an important component of college curricula and professional development. CLEAR can provide assistance with team-based learning
5. Student assessment of group work:Group members assess the effectiveness of their groups and ideas for changes that will facilitate improvement.

Working in groups allows students to collaborate to solve problems and teach one another which helps them develop understanding at deeper levels. Groups allow students to ask questions and clarify misunderstandings when they may be more reluctant to do so in the larger class. The Engaged learning TREE Intermediate Module provides much more information about how to work with small groups in your class.

The Carnegie Mellon Eberly Center has provided an excellent resources to help instructors form and facilitate group work in their classes. See: http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/instructionalstrategies/gr...