Teaching Large Classes
Large classes are wide apread because of the lack of money, teachers, materials, classes in many countries. They are taught in the lecture mode where there are fewer discussions, lack of interaction, lack of structure, lack of testing or graded assignments, and there is a distance between the professors and students where professors do not know their students and the students feel little sense of responsibility. Moreover, lecture mode classes are ineffective in higher-level thinking, attitude change, and motivation for further learning.
I liked the Chinese proverb; "Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand". To engage students in learning, a teacher requires not only knowledge of subject matter but also knowledge of how students learn. The aim of teaching is not only to transmit information but also to transform students from passive recipients into active constructors of their own and other's knowledge.
Enhancing lecture classes can be achieved many aspects. Professors enhance Lecture-style classes to promote student engagement. Professors can show pictures, photos, slides or other visual aids, changing topics to attain variety. Professors can also include stories, examples, and current events from the news to make the lecture more interesting. To increase the students' motivation, Professors can make their classes feel more personal by coming to class early enough to talk personally to students, and staying after class to answer questions. Setting up routines, speaking style, eye contact with one's audience and variation of voice and tone can be used to promote student engagement. Adding cooperative and collaborative learning experiences is essential to students' ability to learn new concepts, skills, and understandings. Collaboration helps with student motivation, and student engagement.
There are some small-group informal learning activities:
- Think-Pair-Share: Teacher lectures, poses a question or issue for students to consider. The student shares their responses with another person.
- Think-Pair-Square: Pairs of students share information within teams of 4 rather than withthe class.
- Concept Test : Teacher poses a multiple-choice question that requires conceptual understanding. Students write their answers on a sheet. Then they work in pairs, attempting to convince others of their answers.
Quick-thinks Re-order the steps : Students must correctly order a set of randomly sequenced steps.
Minute paper : students answer two questions in one to three minutes.
Teaching Large Classes is not a challenge as there are many alternatives to solve it. While reading many technological solutions came to my mind. Not all of them can be available in all classes, but some can be found. They are as follows:1- Facebook , Google + and twitter can be used to sent commands, comments , questions and discussion topics
2- Conferences inside labs using network can also help.
3- Webinars through the web helps to deal with online conferences.
4- Software like paltalk in which students can speak and give opinions.
The large classes force the teacher to use different activities, and methodologies that to engage everyone in the learning process. He has to be active all the time. Sitting class rules is a must. The classification of the group according to the hobbies, skills and the intelligences is a great enhancement to promote student engagement.
With best wishes
Mustafa
Large classes are wide apread because of the lack of money, teachers, materials, classes in many countries. They are taught in the lecture mode where there are fewer discussions, lack of interaction, lack of structure, lack of testing or graded assignments, and there is a distance between the professors and students where professors do not know their students and the students feel little sense of responsibility. Moreover, lecture mode classes are ineffective in higher-level thinking, attitude change, and motivation for further learning.
I liked the Chinese proverb; "Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand". To engage students in learning, a teacher requires not only knowledge of subject matter but also knowledge of how students learn. The aim of teaching is not only to transmit information but also to transform students from passive recipients into active constructors of their own and other's knowledge.
Enhancing lecture classes can be achieved many aspects. Professors enhance Lecture-style classes to promote student engagement. Professors can show pictures, photos, slides or other visual aids, changing topics to attain variety. Professors can also include stories, examples, and current events from the news to make the lecture more interesting. To increase the students' motivation, Professors can make their classes feel more personal by coming to class early enough to talk personally to students, and staying after class to answer questions. Setting up routines, speaking style, eye contact with one's audience and variation of voice and tone can be used to promote student engagement. Adding cooperative and collaborative learning experiences is essential to students' ability to learn new concepts, skills, and understandings. Collaboration helps with student motivation, and student engagement.
There are some small-group informal learning activities:
- Think-Pair-Share: Teacher lectures, poses a question or issue for students to consider. The student shares their responses with another person.
- Think-Pair-Square: Pairs of students share information within teams of 4 rather than withthe class.
- Concept Test : Teacher poses a multiple-choice question that requires conceptual understanding. Students write their answers on a sheet. Then they work in pairs, attempting to convince others of their answers.
Quick-thinks Re-order the steps : Students must correctly order a set of randomly sequenced steps.
Minute paper : students answer two questions in one to three minutes.
Teaching Large Classes is not a challenge as there are many alternatives to solve it. While reading many technological solutions came to my mind. Not all of them can be available in all classes, but some can be found. They are as follows:1- Facebook , Google + and twitter can be used to sent commands, comments , questions and discussion topics
2- Conferences inside labs using network can also help.
3- Webinars through the web helps to deal with online conferences.
4- Software like paltalk in which students can speak and give opinions.
The large classes force the teacher to use different activities, and methodologies that to engage everyone in the learning process. He has to be active all the time. Sitting class rules is a must. The classification of the group according to the hobbies, skills and the intelligences is a great enhancement to promote student engagement.
With best wishes
Mustafa
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