Sound familiar?

Problems with Lecture Lack of student interaction Lack of student interaction Does not engage students in material Does not engage students in material Individual, not group oriented Individual, not group oriented Difficult to maintain attention Difficult to maintain attention One-dimensional One-dimensional

Getting Students to Interact: a Net Gener’s Perspective on Learning with Technology By Sarah Marzec Michigan State University Carie Windham North Carolina State University

Goal: To Understand the Material How? Get Students to Interact

Inside the Classroom Have in-class questions on the material covered Have in-class questions on the material covered –Students know if they understand the new material –Participation Points –Clickers make this easy

Teaching Problems Involving Calculations Step-by-Step is best Step-by-Step is best –PowerPoint is used effectively when each step appears separately, not all at once –The old-fashioned overhead is effective, too

Outside the Classroom Multimedia Supplements Multimedia Supplements –Animations (for example, of cell processes) Great because they get students to interact with and picture the material in a way that books cannot Great because they get students to interact with and picture the material in a way that books cannot –Diagrams and Pictures Drawing Drawing

More Outside the Classroom Immediate Feedback Questions Immediate Feedback Questions –Several tries –Know immediately if doing the problem right or wrong –Classmates can help each other –Suggest that students print the questions out

Online vs. Face to Face Teaching  Students are not likely to print out all of the online course material and so are likely to spend less time studying for online courses  Hearing concepts explained aloud helps understanding

More About Online Texts Underlining, highlighting, and marking pages is easier with paper textbooks Underlining, highlighting, and marking pages is easier with paper textbooks –If the online text offers these capabilities, you have to make sure students know about them –You should also offer students suggestions on how to use them

One Last Note It is extremely important to explain to students how you expect them to use technology It is extremely important to explain to students how you expect them to use technology –Just as you are new to using technology to teach, students are new to using it for learning –Online lecture notes, for example

Discussion in class Make discussion as active as possible Make discussion as active as possible –Select class “discussion leaders” –Post questions before class in syllabus or over Web CT –Do not plan to discuss “right or wrong” answers; plan to debate

Moving discussion online Set up class discussion boards Set up class discussion boards –Easy to construct in Web CT –Choose questions that require argument, not just recitation –Make expectations clear –Choose “pro,” “con,” and assessment groups –Be an active player

Moving discussion online, cont. Initiate class chat rooms for discussion Initiate class chat rooms for discussion –Set a specific time and place –Begin by setting ground rules for class –Offer participation or extra credit points –Make a connection b/w class activities and online discussion

Virtual laboratories Move ‘hands on’ exploration to the Web Move ‘hands on’ exploration to the Web –Use of interactive games –Problem solving exercises –Simulations –Cost effective

Supplemental lectures Don’t make “Power Pointless” Don’t make “Power Pointless” –Enhance class lectures or presentations with the use of audio or video files –Show graphic simulations, use music clips, or opt for audio files –Breaks up the monotony and snaps students back to attention

Integrate team activity Move beyond simple group projects or “busy work” Move beyond simple group projects or “busy work” –Peer editing –Semester-long group activities –Use of “trivia-style” question and response technique

Bring in the ‘real world’ Increase relevancy by addressing current, local, or global problems through material Increase relevancy by addressing current, local, or global problems through material –Students want to see a “bigger picture” –Relate concepts to problems in the news or ideas in their lives –Use examples from workplace or news –Make a connection between the material and their lives