Ana GonzalezWe can all agree that the tail-end of a semester is overwhelming and time-consuming. If you’re running out of content and activities to create during this time of the year… look no further! In this blog, we cover three easy ways to boost your student participation to get through the last few weeks of class.
1. Begin class with discussions
Getting your students talking is a great way to build ambiance before class starts. We are at a point in the semester where every little word of encouragement and interaction goes a long way. Instead of diving straight into the lecture, try to start class with a question that will initiate interactions amongst participants. Here are a few of the questions some of our community members have used successfully:
- Ask me two questions
- Tell me what you liked about this chapter
- Summarize this lesson/semester in 4 emojis
Activity time⏳: 4-minutes.
2. Diagnose class health with surveys
Here is where you can collect individual student feedback without having to wait for teacher evaluations. Run a 3-4 question survey at the beginning of class where students answer questions related to their class experience. Some great tools to help you collect the data are:
- Google Forms
- CampusKnot Quizzes
- Survey Monkey
Activity time⏳: 10-minutes
3. The one-minute essay
Ready, set, go! This assessment was developed by a Physics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. It was later popularized by Cross and Angelo as one of a wide variety of quick “classroom assessment techniques” (CATs). You can run this activity at the beginning, middle, or end of class. First, make sure you have a clock in hand. Prompt your students to ask or answer topics covered during class time. Here are a few examples:
- Without looking at your notes, what was most memorable or stands out in your mind about today’s class?
- What was the most surprising and/or unexpected idea expressed in today’s discussion?
- Looking back at your notes, what would you say was the most stimulating idea discussed in today’s class?
- For you, what interesting questions remain unanswered about today’s topic?
Source: On Course
Activity time⏳: 2-minutes
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to get participation started. We know high student involvement can lead to higher engagement outcomes. Running fun and inclusive activities with fun and flexible technology during class allows you to create a relaxed atmosphere while also gaining insight into students’ understanding of the material at the end of the semester.
Plan and schedule you class content with CampusKnot, it’s free!
