Lecture Techniques
Greg Justice
Department of Theatre and Cinema
Asking questions of students is so important for engagement. I do think that the question and answer process throughout the semester is the best tool I have.
In order to make lectures more interactive and engaging, instructors will create learning pauses in their lecture. The term learning pause refers to pausing the lecture (or, more specifically, the instructor’s time directly expositing content) to incorporate active learning activities that focus on students processing the information from the lecture.
These activities are designed to be less time intensive than more developed active learning strategies, and they can last from seconds to about 3-5 minutes. Of course, these can be extended if desired. These activities can be designed in a number of ways, typically following one of three formats, as described below. For a more detailed list of specific strategies, please consult our Learning Pauses guide.
Individual
Students complete the activity on their own
Think-Pair-Share
Students first do the activity on their own. Then, they pair up with a classmate to discuss their responses/answers. Finally, the pairs share out to the entire class.
Note: Think-pair-shares work best when you ask students to write down their responses before being paired together.
Small Group
Students complete the activity in small groups. For these activities, 3-4 students in a group works best. To reduce class time spent organizing students in groups, you may want to consider one of the following ideas:
- Utilizing the same small groups throughout the semester (or vary them up every few weeks) and ask students to sit with their groups
- Use Canvas to randomize student groups
- Assign students to groups as they enter the classroom and note where they should sit (alternatively, you can use name cards to do this if you’re in a classroom with tables or moveable desks)
- Randomize groups as students enter the classroom by giving students a handout/card with their group name/number on it. Have designated meeting areas for the group pre-labeled in the classroom