PACING FOR AN INTERACTIVE LECTURE
Based on John Bean's Engaging Ideas, pp. 170-71
A 50-60 minute lecture period might be broken into
10-12 minute segments that alternate with 3-4 minutes of interaction:
| 5 minute advance organizer |
10-12 minute lecture |
3-4 minutes with groups or partners |
10-12 minute lecture |
3-4 minutes with groups or partners |
10-12 minute lecture |
4-6 minute individual summary |
An Advance Organizer is
a way of setting the goals for the class period. You might want to
ascertain what the students already know. You might give students
a quick activity based on the class reading to gauge understanding.
You might offer a quick review. You might answer questions from the
previous class period as a segue into new material.
10-12 Minute Lectures are
based on what students need to know.
3-4 Minute Collaborative Activities
work like this:
-
Assign an action or pose a question
-
Query someone at random (e.g., "Please paraphrase and restate
the task.")
-
Ask students to take 1-2 minutes individually to think about
a question and commit to an answer
-
Allow about 2 minutes for students to work in groups to reach
a consensus answer
-
Random sample the responses from one or two groups to check
on learning
-
As instructor, provide a summary or summary explanation before
proceeding with the next lecture segment
4-6 Minute Individual Summaries
encourage active listening and allow instructors to check on student understanding.
Students might, for instance, write a one-page summary of the class period
that the instructor can then read (random sample) to see where students
are understanding or having problems. Alternatives include "minute
papers" that ask students to summarize one idea and state one question,
or "cooperative note-taking" where student pairs compare notes and help
each other flesh out ideas, a guided writing task (in class or at home)
that asks students to use concepts or information from the day's lecture.