A Change-Up Sampler
The list below presents over a
dozen "change-up" options. You should be able to find a few here that work for you. On that dark night of the teaching soul, when you have run out of ideas for a change-up, pick something new from this list.
Student Generated Questions:
Write a Question
The simplest of these techniques: instead of saying "Are there any questions?" ask each student to write down one to three they have about the material just covered. Then ask several (volunteers at first) what their questions are and answer them (or get other students to answer them). Having students write their questions down gives them all a chance to acknowledge what they really do not know. Seeing the questions in writing helps them feel authorized to ask them.
Exam Questions
Alone, or in pairs, or groups of three, students write an exam question about material just covered in class. (They should follow the format of your actual exams—essay, multiple-choice, etc.) After a brief time for discussion, you select at least four groups to report their questions to the whole class. Write these on the board and ask other students to critique them (give specific criteria). You can collect all of the questions in writing; use the best ones on the exam!
Problem Solving:
Paired Discussions
In three or four minutes, have students discuss something with the person next to them: summarize class so far; react to theory, concepts, or information being presented; relate today's material to past learning, etc.
Make your questions as specific as you can.
Think (or Write) - Pair - Share
Pose a question which requires analysis, evaluation, or synthesis. Each student thinks or writes on this question for one minute, then turns to the person seated nearby to compare ideas. Then the pairs share their ideas with some larger group (pairs of pairs, section of the class, or whole group).
Concrete Images
To help students make specific references to the text, go around the room and ask each one to state a concrete image/scene/event/moment that stands out. List these on the board. Follow up by having them find themes or patterns, missing points, etc. Then discussion can move to analysis with a common collection of facts.
Generating Ideas:
Buzz Groups
Give one or two prepared questions to groups of three to five students. Each group records its discussion and reports to the whole class. Then help the class synthesize the groups' answers.
Truth Statements
Ask several small groups to decide on three things they know to be true about some particular issue. This is useful when introducing a new topic which students think they know well, but where their assumptions need to be examined.
Kisses and Crackers
To overcome the flagging of attention, when you notice energy and attention diminishing, pass out crackers and Hershey's kisses. The professor who taught us this technique tells us that research in "accelerated learning" shows that eating about once per hour actually promotes learning. Not only does the food wake students up, the mere act of passing the bags around changes the activity and refocuses attention. He says that this also helps students feel good about his class and him and overcome science anxiety.
Controversial Topics:
Reaction Sheet
After presenting a controversial topic, pass around several sheets to collect written reactions to these three questions: "What ideas do you question?" "What ideas are new to you?" and "What ideas really hit home?" Follow up with discussion. Variations are to ask each student to write a sheet or to have small groups do so.
Value Lines
Students line up according to how strongly they agree or disagree with a proposition or how strongly they value something. This gives a visual reading of the continuum of feelings in the group. Next, sort students into heterogeneous groups for discussion by grouping one from either end with two from the middle. Ask students to listen to differing viewpoints in their groups and to paraphrase opposing positions fairly.
Forced Debate
Ask all students who agree with a proposition to sit on one side of the room and all opposed on the other side. Hanging signs describing the propositions helps. It is important that they physically take a position and that the opposing sides face each other. After they have sorted themselves out, switch the signs and force them to argue for the position with which they disagree. This activity—which pushes "Value Lines" one step further—is one of very few activities that plunge people into temporary ownership of viewpoints in opposition to their own strongly held opinions.
Student Self-Evaluation
Have the students write a brief evaluation of their learning.
After an essay (or project) have them answer the following: Now that you have finished your essay [or project], please answer the following questions. There are no right or wrong answers; I am interested in your analysis of your experience writing this essay [or doing this project].
- What problems did you face during the writing of this essay?
- What solutions did you find for those problems?
- What do you think are the strengths of this essay [project]?
- What alternative plans for this essay [project] did you consider? Why did you reject them?
- Imagine you had more time to write this essay [work on this project]. What would you do if you were to continue working on it?
And finally, varying media often provides a useful change-up. Slides, overheads, pictures, video clips, music or sound can refocus attention and provide a shared experience which students can then critically "unpack" in discussion. Remember to give context for the new material, to show or play only what you need, and to direct student attention to the aspects of the material you regard as especially important.
For an expanded list of activities and a fully-referenced copy of Middendorf's and Kalish's article, send a request to :
Alan Kalish
Associate Director
Teaching Resources Center
Ballantine Hall 132
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405
Telephone: (812) 855-2635
E-mail: kalish@ucs.indiana.edu
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