Center for Teaching Excellence,
Iowa State University
March, 1998
contribute to content does not mean that you have to give over total control.
It's still your course and your responsibility to inform the students what
information they should study, how they will be expected to demonstrate their
knowledge and understanding, and your standards for performance. It is their
responsibility to read, study, participate, and perform. When you ask students
to participate, you are not asking them to simply voice their unformed and
uninformed opinions. At the developmental stage for most freshmen and
sophomores, students tend to believe fervently that everyone has a right to
his/her opinion. Unfortunately, the corollary, for them, is that therefore all
opinions are equal. Part of your mission, therefore, is to help them understand
the difference.
32. Listen, learn, and adapt. There is no single prescription for all groups.
Much like individual people, groups have individual characters and you will
need to adapt your style to them as much as is comfortable for you. If you can
be open to those differences, they will become part of what makes teaching an
interesting challenge year after year after year.
The above is a synthesis of information from several sources and my own
experiences. The following is a useful list from Tools for Teaching by Barbara
Gross Davis.
33. Make certain each student has an opportunity to talk in class during the
first two or three weeks. The longer a student goes without talking, the more
difficult it will become.
the first or second class meeting if they aren't too childish or embarrassing.
For an architectural history course, for example, you could ask students to
bring a picture of a building from any source and describe to the rest of the
class what they like about that building. Or each student could be asked to
introduce themselves and explain which historical period they would most like
to live in and why. Or students could introduce themselves and explain what
they think they will learn from the course or what they hope to learn. The
advantage of the above exercises is that the instructor can gain some useful
insight while the students get to know a little about each other. Often the
most effective icebreaker can be a field trip because it moves the students out
of the classroom and gives them a common experience.
35. Ask students to identify characteristics of an effective discussion then
ask them to list characteristics of poor discussions. Have the students
contribute items from their lists in a "brain storming" method (meaning no
criticism) while you make a list on the blackboard or on newsprint. Then
encourage discussion about how the group can maximize the characteristics of
good discussions while minimizing the characteristics of poor discussions.
Students will take more ownership of the class when they have had a part in
setting the expectation level.
36. Periodically divide students into smaller groups with a specific goal such
as a question to answer, a problem to solve, or perspectives to list then
report back to the larger group.
session assigned to observe and assess the process of the group, with time set
aside for their report and some group response at the end of each session.
[This suggestion has its drawbacks because it tends to draw one or more
students out of the discussion.] You could have one or two students assigned to
summarize the discussion at the end of each session.
38. One method to both encourage participation and limit those who tend to
dominate is to hand out three poker chips (or something else) to each student.
Each time a student contributes, he or she puts a chip into the pot. Students
must spend all of their chips by the end of the session but when they run out
of chips, they have to keep quiet. [This may be helpful early in the semester
but it could quickly become too artificial and stifling.]
39. Don't forget non-verbal communication. Smiling and nodding are very
positive reinforcers. Look at the student who is speaking to show that you are
listening and appreciate his or her contribution. Sit upright and a bit forward
to show your interest and anticipation. And watch for non-verbal cues form your
students as well. If they look bored, sleepy, disinterested, then it may be
time to change tactics, stand and stretch, move on to another topic, etc.