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Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience > Interactive Lectures > How to Give Interactive Lectures > Interactive Lecture Techniques
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Interactive Lecture Techniques
The third step to providing an interactive lecture is
to select an activity from the many possible
learning techniques that are available. This is
done after the instructor has determined what
learning task the students must complete and has
selected a potential engagement trigger. Given
that the possibilities for technique choice are
extensive and new techniques can be formed
from premutations and combinations of the basic
types, the options are limitless. Several
possibilities are shown here and categorized as
basic, intermediate and advanced based on
preparation and class time required. However,
even these classifications are somewhat loose as
any of these techniques can be modified to fit all three classifications. Each detailed technique
link provides a more thorough description, an explanation of the advantages of the technique,
the steps required for implementation, challenges to anticipate, and specific examples.
Basic
Think-pair-share activities pose a question to students that they must consider alone
and then discuss with a neighbor before settling on a final answer. This is a great way
to motivate students and promote higher-level thinking. A think-pair-share can take as
little as three minutes (quick-response) or can be longer (extended response),
depending on the question or task.
One-minute write activities ask students to stop what they are doing a produce a
written response in only one minute. This technique can be used to collect feedback
on understanding by asking them to identify what they thought the most confusing
point was or to voice a question. It can also allow students an opportunity for
immediate application.
Question of the day exercises are short activities for the beginning of class that
engage students with the lecture material in a short project that requires students to
think actively about the content. The instructors poses a question that is generally not
multiple-choice but rather requires short explanations, annotations, calculations, or
drawings that develop communication skills as well as higher-level thinking.
Intermediate
Demonstrations may involve all students or a subset demonstrating to the entire
class a concept or principle that has just been taught or will be taught.
Demonstrations can engage direct and indirect participants and can be applied to a
wide variety of topics. Effective demonstrations ask students to predict outcomes,
experience the demonstrations, and reflect by comparing the prediction and actual
outcomes.
ConcepTest questions are conceptual multiple choice questions that are used to
assess student understanding. Students work on the questions individually. These
questions can be used to promote higher-level thinking such as analysis, critical
thinking, and synthesis. As these questions take little time, you can ask several in a
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Interactive Lecture
Demonstrations
Interactive Lectures
What is Interactive
Lecture?
Why use Interactive
Lectures?
How to Give Interactive
Lectures
Pre-instructional
Planning
Engagement Triggers
and Tasks for
Interactive Segments
Interactive Lecture
Techniques
Think-Pair-Share
Question of the Day
Structuring and
Managing the
Interactive Class
Session
Collecting, Organizing
and Responding to
Student Feedback
Examples of Interactive
Lecture Techniques
References and Additional
Resources
Investigative Case Based
Learning
Jigsaws
Just in Time Teaching
Mathematical and Statistical
Models
Models
Peer Review
Role Playing
Service Learning
Socratic Questioning
Spreadsheets Across the
Curriculum
Studio Teaching in the
Geosciences
Teaching Urban Students
Teaching with Data
Teaching with GIS
Teaching with Google Earth
Teaching with
Visualizations
Undergraduate Research
Using an Earth System
Approach
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class period. They provide a quick objective assessment of students' prior knowledge
or of how much of the class understood your lecture. (On whichever concept quiz
page we go with include link to clicker page)
Role playing activities put the student in the position of a relevant decision maker
forcing them to apply the content to determine a policy or solve a problem. This often
calls upon higher order thinking skills and the synthesis of ideas and when students
do this it groups, negotiation skills become important as well.
Skeleton Notes offers examples of skeleton or partial note handouts or power points
slides that maintain intellectual engagement throughout the class period by forcing
students to complete partials notes as the lecture progresses. These require an initial
investment in terms of preparation, but are then easily available for subsequent
semesters.
Advanced
Simulations are often a form of extended demonstration that also can require more
preparation and class time, but they allow students to analyze more complex
situations and produce a broader range of responses.
Experiments are a form of active learning that can take more time for instructors to
develop and require more class time, but they too allow students to tackle more
complex problems.
Further Reading
Interactive Lectures: summaries of 36 formats (more info) offers a number of different ideas for in-
class exercises and advice on incorporating them effectively into lecture.
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