Across the Curriculum
at Albuquerque TVI Community College
Archive of Teaching Ideas: Teaching tip for March 21-April 2, 1999
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S. Luck's tip
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A collaborative learning technique that encourages active participation in learning groups
Contributed by Sandra Luck, Health Occupations instructor at Albuquerque TVI
In utilizing small group activities as a learning
strategy I found that, in general, some students were
extremely active contributors and listeners, others
were only moderately so, and some were not
engaged on any level. To address this problem I have
changed the debriefing segment of small group
activities.
When students are assigned to groups to explore/
analyze/evaluate an article, essay, topic, question, or
case study, they are told that one member will have
to summarize their discussion and present that
summary to the whole class. But--that individual is
not identified until after the group time has ended.
This gives each group member incentive to pay
attention, as he/she may be chosen to present the
group's findings.
To select the presenter I generally have the students
count off within their small group and then choose
one number to be the presenter. (Submitted by
Sandra Luck on March 23, 1999)
Share your teaching ideas
If you have a tip, technique or assignment that has worked successfully in your classroom to elicit active thinking, please share it with us. Send them--one per message, please--to the Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum Initiative webmaster, making sure to include an explanation of how the technique or assignment promotes active, critical thinking.
| "...Some students were extremely active contributors and listeners, others were only moderately so, and some were not engaged on any level." |
| . |
| "This
gives each group member incentive to pay attention, as he/she may be chosen to present the group's findings." |