Enhance Student Learning

Enhance Student Learning

Studies have found that traditional lectures may be ineffective at teaching students, so it is time to revisit the long passive lecture format?  It’s the mental equivalent of sitting all day–bad for you, but deeply entrenched. It’s time to stop teaching material the wrong way. Instead, try swapping bad lecture habits with cutting-edge active learning techniques. Here are a few ideas:

Do your students leave class without reviewing first? Class time is precious, we understand. As a result, it may seem like a good idea to rush through the material and just pick up where you left off next class. Yet this gives you know sense of whether the students understood the lesson or not. It also means they have no incentive to be anything but a passive observer during the lecture.

The fix: Exit Tickets. Before students leave class, have them answer a few questions about the material they just absorbed. This will kickstart the study process, getting students to think critically as soon as they get the material. Not to mention, these mini practice tests will aid memory. This means your students will ask you fewer clarifying questions after class and perhaps shift to asking deeper questions (not to mention do better on tests). Don’t forget that nClass makes exit tickets easy with instant stats and no paper, which means no more extra grading for you or your TA.

Can you tell if your students comprehend? In traditional lectures, there is no way to tell if your students get it. There may be a few questions or puzzled looks in the front row,but for the most part, the students’ comprehension is invisible. Instead, class should be interactive–feedback should be frequent.

The fix: Take a pulse check. There are several ways to check comprehension and attention throughout a lecture. With nClass, you can try ask students to send their comprehension level to you in the form of a smiley face. Additionally, you can ask students a questions about the lecture throughout lesson via smartphone.

 

Have student applied the material before exams? Lectures can help convey facts, but they don’t traditionally promote higher level thinking. In order to get students to apply knowledge, they need interactivity.

The Fix: Problem solving. Start class with a scenario that someone in the field might encounter. Have students respond with their solutions in a open-ended question. Then you can incorporate the answers into the lesson by addressing common or poignant answers. nClass lets you do this instantly, sending answers to your in-class computer or tablet.

 

How do you incorporate active learning into class?