Training Tips Blog

Enagaging the Disinterested or Bored student.

 

This is a huge challegne to me in my adult academic programs that I teach at night. There are certainly the 10% of students in my classes who are engaged and fully participating, but there are the 10% who have mentally "checked out" for the semester. Especially at night time! This can be a true "drag" on my classes and help to bring down that middle 80 % who can be infleunced in either direction of (engagement or bordem).

 

I have always used Active Training or Active Learning through out my academic career. I bring high energy activities into the classroom and try to get away from the true lecture.

I've been reading Mel Silberman's book Active Training both for my paper and to get refreshed in some new ways to energize the students in my classes.

I just reread his "10 Ways to Obtain Participation." Many of these hold true in engaging the learner, even the bored ones in classes. They are as follows:

1) open discussion,

2) response cards - 3 x 5 cards from the students to class discussion -

3) polling,

4) sub group discussions,

5) using partners for learning,

6) go-arounds - short responses from everyone,

7) games,

8) calling on the next speaker - risky, but holds everyone accountable for learninhg -

9) panels - smaller groups for discussion, and

10) fishbowls.

 

I've seen many of these methods used in our graduate studies at Wharton/GSE and I really believe these methods and other active training and learning activities can truly help even the most disengaged student get involved in the learning.