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The more engaged students are in the learning process, the more they will absorb. While this makes intuitive sense, the assertion is also backed up by loads of brain research showing that when more areas of the brain are involved in an experience, the more memorable it becomes. So, to maximize learning, we must continue to engage the mind and the body, by offering physical experiences as well as cerebral ones, and stirring up learners’ emotions. None of this will happen if the “sage on the stage” stands there lecturing. Instead, we need to replace talking heads with participation. Click for Participation Infographic
When I look at my kids’ report cards and their Schoology reports, I often see references and grades for “class participation.” When teachers or trainers ask questions, inviting learners to raise their hand to share a response, they put the onus on the student to single themselves out to share.
I don’t know about you, but when I was a teenager, I wasn’t the most confident or outspoken student–only a handful of students in my classes were. I wasn’t particularly shy but was still unlikely to raise my hand with an answer unless I really knew it. I grew up in the pre-Growth Mindset world, but even in the Carol Dweck era of today, where failure is appreciated as part of the learning process, many students (young and old) are still reluctant to participate in a roomful of peers.
Historically, we’ve thought of class participation in terms of participating in discussions or answering questions posed by a teacher or trainer. I think that’s what my kids are still graded on. However, as teaching formats have evolved, so must our understanding of what constitutes “participation.” Beyond talking and discussing, participation can involve, walking, standing, writing, drawing, clicking, and playing.
The challenge for teachers and trainers is to link their teaching and learning goals with an appropriate type of participation. Goals might include introduction of new material, practicing new techniques, improving memory, or committing to next steps. Depending on the goal, teachers may use a myriad of different tools to facilitate broad participation, rather than engaging only the handful of students who happen to raise their hands to speak.
Let’s explore 7 teaching goals and ways to make those efforts more participatory.
In place of lecturing, ask questions and have learners think through the material before divulging answers.
Use tools that will allow EVERY participant to think of an answer, not just your fastest thinkers.
If your goal is really just to get people moving around, you may not need to tie the movement to the learning curriculum. Simply getting the blood moving to different parts of the body can have a positive impact on learning.
Play quick-response games to improve memory and retention. Be warned, however, that you run the risk of leaving slower thinkers behind. Following are some tools that reward quick recall, and ways to adapt them to include folks who need more time to think through their answer or feel shy about answering questions in a big group.
Ensure that learning is applied by asking participants to write down (and commit to) next steps.
For some, coming up with stuff to say can be a daunting challenge. A variety of tools call on visual metaphors, quotes, or discussion prompts to spark creativity and the flow of new ideas. And, they can be adapted to any topic in any discipline. Favorites include:
The variety of examples above reflect that participation can look very different depending on the age of a group, content being covered, or where the group is within a learning process. No matter what the specifics, participation will help bring closure to learning events and make material more memorable.
Read more:
Increase Class Participation in Discussions
9 Ways to Increase Student Engagement