Rooted in the Greek tradition of Socrates and Aristotle, debate pedagogy utilizes the interpersonal 'heat' that comes with a clash in opinions to engage students in learning. Well-structured classroom debates can engage students, give them agency in their learning, and challenge them to view the layered perspectives that lie under the surface of…

This article discusses the use of text messaging as an effective way for faculty to communicate with students in between class meetings or within an online course. The benefits of text messaging will be discussed, as well as the tools one faculty member has used when texting students or groups of students. Text messaging can be used to give…

Quiet students are sometimes misunderstood in the college classroom. Students may be quiet for reasons related to personality traits, learned behaviors, or situational factors, but regardless, their silences may be misinterpreted by their instructors as a lack of engagement in their courses. In fact, quiet students are often very engaged in the…

In this article, the author offers a discussion technique: the twice-around. A variant on the circular response discussion, the twice-around engages students by beginning with students' questions, ensuring equal time for all participants and inviting discussants to build on previous contributions. In the twice-around, participants sit in a circle,…

In this article, the author talks about how to encourage classroom participation with empty extrinsic rewards. He uses "bonus points" in awarding students for particularly interesting or well thought-out contributions to the class discussion. These bonus points have absolutely no effect on the student's course grade. But the students respond…

The nature of silence is complex in any classroom with international or domestic students. Instructors sometimes fail to recognize that the classroom silence of foreign students is unlike their native counterparts. With an insider perspective, this article explores the concept of silence among international students by examining the existing body…

Classroom incivility is a major concern in higher education today. Yet little study has been done of student perceptions of behavior in the classroom. Based on a survey of 3,616 students at a Midwestern public university, the present study provides useful information to faculty members and administrators about the behaviors students find most…

It is not unusual to find elaborate schemes for compelling and assessing class participation. Although participation can take many forms, in practice it is most synonymous with discussion, which, at its core, is about student engagement. But with what should the students be engaged? When we make class participation a requirement and assess it,…

Slide shows presented with software such as PowerPoint or WordPerfect Presentations can trap instructors into bad teaching practices. Research on memory suggests that slide-show instruction can actually be less effective than traditional lecturing when the teacher uses a blackboard or overhead projector. The author proposes a model of classroom…

Presents a range of techniques that faculty can use to help prevent the development of negative emotions and conflict in their classes. Recommendations include communicating warmth and sensitivity toward students by remaining enthusiastic and available, establishing a shared course framework by determining course objectives and seeking students'…

The advantages of group consensus testing are discussed, procedures for preparing and testing students by this method are outlined, and research supporting consensus testing is reviewed. (MSE)

One teacher adopted a language teacher's method of calling on students without causing embarrassment by moving quickly from one student to the next, not penalizing students who were unable to respond, praising freely, and using humor. The technique encourages participation and self-confidence. (MSE)

A discussion of the Socratic method for college-level teaching looks at the three primary components of the method (systematic questioning, inductive reasoning, and universal definitions) and several additional relevant elements, including the testing of hypotheses and use of background information. One teacher's classroom techniques are…

Presents the idea that learning through active resistance makes the information that students discover more valuable to them. Provides examples from classroom experiences. (EV)

A technique for provoking thought and discussion about a new subject in the college classroom involves having each student write facts they know about the subject on an index card, then reading cards at random to begin discussion. Content of the cards reveals significant concepts, concerns, and misinformation helpful in approaching the topic. (MSE)