Tips for Building Student Engagement in Class Lectures Through Active Listening and Questioning

Research has shown that students need to do more than just listen to make learning meaningful. While activities, such as reading, writing, discussing, or engaging in solving problems are important, engaging in higher-order thinking tasks such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation is critical. This teaching tip will highlight instructional strategies and student activities for promoting active learning that involve students in doing things and thinking about what they are doing using active listening and questioning.

Teacher steps:
Before class, write the name of each student on an index card. At several times during the class lecture, randomly select an index card and call upon the student whose name is on the card to answer questions about the content of the lecture or to respond to the comments made by other students.

Student steps:
When called upon, students state in their own words the most important points in the lecture. They also summarize and restate the points made by other students.

Key points to improve success:

1. Shuffle the index cards continually so each new draw is completely random. The index cards may be used to keep track of student participation.

2. Remind students that the purpose of this questioning strategy is to help them improve their critical listening abilities and become more effective listeners. It is not to intimidate them or make them appear ignorant in front of their fellow classmates.

3. Begin with simple questions requiring one-word answers. Then gradually progress into more complex questions. Some examples of complex questions are: What are the key concepts presented in this lecture? What questions are emerging for you as we think our way through this issue? What can we logically conclude based on the information presented in this chapter? Is student #2 accurately restating the response of student # 1, and if not, what needs to be corrected?

In summary, active learning is something STUDENTS DO in the learning process that aids their understanding. Instructional strategies alone are insufficient to promote active learning and/or critical thinking. Optimum environments for learning can be created by selecting and using active teaching methods. Teachers need to increase their awareness of HOW they process and structure information so that they can more explicitly model and translate these skills to their students.

Reference

1 ED340272 Sep 91 Active Learning : Creating Excitement in the Classroom. ERIC Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, Washington, D.C.; George Washington Univ., Washington, D.C.

2010 Linda L. Carr, Ph.D., Faculty-Ed Solutions, LLC