by Nancy Johnson

The greatest moments in teaching are witnessing student’s learning in action. To be able to step back and watch the learning process unfold while students engage in analyzing, discussing, and sharing their learning on the content and topics of the course. The pleasure and satisfaction of designing an interactive lecture, in-class activities, and meaningful assignments drawing students into the topic is when I can end my day knowing that students have gain new understanding of the content and involved more deeply in their learning process.

Unfortunately, I have not found this an everyday occurrence. Students come into the classroom, attentively staring at me with blank faces, and wait for me to teach them so they can learn. I also find students do not know the content, may not have acquired the textbook, or have the motivation to read the learning materials. I work to make my lectures more interactive. I prepare a variety of activities for students to interact with each other and share their learning; still not getting the level of activity and discussion that I expected. I was not holding the students accountable for being prepared. There was something wrong with this picture. I had to make a change.

I attended several sessions at the Lilly Conference from creating actively engaging lectures to class preparation assignments and how to help your students come to class prepared. I was reinforced on the strategies that I use and use well,and  made aware of the strategies that I could improve on or those I was not using that could help support a stronger teaching-learning environment.

Preparing engaging lectures and in-class learning activities for students are more effective when students come to class prepared. I now hold the students accountable for being prepared for class by using graded “class preparation assignments”. I prepare guiding questions in a variety of ways for the purpose of using the student answer for in-class activities and discussions. The class preparation assignments are due the beginning of the first day of class each week, used as an activity during class, and turned in at the end of class.

Guided questions are based on the required readings. An assignment sheet or activity sheet is prepared in advanced, given to the students the last day of class for the week to take with them and prepare for the following week. The class preparation assignments present 3-5 questions asking students to provide information gained from the readings, similar to a take-home quiz. Here are some ways I use the information students provide from the class preparation assignments for in-class activities and discussions:

1) “Identify and explain a main topic or concept of (the topic in the assigned reading)”. In class students pair up and share their concept. The students will pair and share multiple times with new partners so they become the “expert” on that concept they are teaching or sharing with others. I use this in a 2 partner pair and share, or using these partners to snowball.

2) “3-2-1” assignment where students identify 3 things they learned from the reading, 2 things they don’t understand form the reading, and one question they create on the reading for the professor to answer. This assignment is used to gauge their knowledge and understanding. It allows me to use the things the students don’t understand as whole group discussion, and gives them the chance to ask questions to the professor (if appropriate). This activity prompts students to read for understanding the topic, to identify what they do not understand, and to form a question of relevance to the topic, content, or expectations in the course.

3) Reflective learning question(s). Students respond to a guided reflective learning question directly related to the required reading for that week. It asks them to think about and respond to a specific issue or application of the content. For example: choose one of the historians in the reading and identify their contribution to our work in the field. If that historian came to our community today . . . what unmet needs of our community would he or she focus on?

4) Review questions. Students answer 5 review questions much like an open book quiz on the content of the readings. Questions that are not answered well by the group can be used as a small group discussion where students create a stronger answer to the question as a group.

5) “Prepare 5 questions and answers . . . (on a pre-selected topic)” to create a low-tech jeopardy game on folded cardstock paper. Students work in a small group with members that are assigned the same topic to review and select 5 questions from the pool of questions from their group, and rank-order the difficulty of their questions from 1-5. Students write their question on the inside of a folded paper, the answer on the back, and the value of the question on the front (100-500). Students are re-mixed into two groups with at least one member from their team in different groups.

6) “Big Question” for a 5-point activity. Students write one question or concept with which they are struggling on the front of a ½ sheet cardstock. On the back of the cardstock is 5 squares. Each person will find a partner, review both questions, and determine the value of each question by using a 5-point rating based on their importance/value of discussing the question. The 5 points need to be split between the two questions based on the value of each questions. The respective points are required on the back of the card. The partners switch questions and find a new partner. This process is repeated until all of the boxes are completed. Students will calculate the total points on the card they are holding. Students line up by rank-order of ratings of highest to lowest form the total number of points on the back of their card. The top cards are the topics for small group discussion. (This activity was modified from FCTL Faculty Series “The 35” with Missi Patterson.)

I have found that when I use the students’ class preparation assignments, they are more accountable for being prepared for class, more involved in the interactive lecture, more engaged in the content, more exposed to the content (reading on their own, lecture, in-class activities). The key is to use the information students provide in the class preparation assignment for class discussion and shared learning activities. Students respond better when their assignment is used and valued. When I don’t focus on the information students provide they are less likely to complete the assignment, despite the fact that it is graded.

The limitation is no longer lack of student engagement, rather the lack of time during class to complete the full process of discussion, and wrap up because students become so involved in the learning.

Contributed Lilly Conference sessions (find more on these pages: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/7516e7_5ba6e873cc0e4f2cac5bc7da8de523af.pdf and https://www.lillyconferences-tx.com/handouts )

Enhancing Lecturing: Renovation, Not Replacement by Todd P Primm, PACE, Sam Houston State University

How to get your Students to Come to Class Prepared by Lynn Gillette, Nicholls State University and Bob Gillette, University of Kentucky

Reframing the Lecture as a Pedagogy of Engagement by Claire Howell Major, University of Alabama