creating classroom communication creating classroom communicationsandra flank & dave hapke may...

Creating Classroom Communication Sandra Flank & Dave Hapke May 10, 2005 1

Creating Classroom Communication

How To Create an Environment of Open Classroom Communication

Pace University May 2005Sandra Flank (School of Education)

[email protected] Hapke (Lubin School of Business)

[email protected]



Introduction

• Creating Classroom Communication– One of the most common topics of conversation

among teachers• A fact -- teaching is not learning• Knowledge is produced and stored in the brain

– How to associate new knowledge with knowledge the student already has, making it easier to store?

• This session is based on the fact that Open Classroom Communication enhances active learning

• We want to share your / our techniques

Note: Sandy and Dave think of themselves more as facilitators than lecturers

Note: Sandy and Dave think of themselves more as facilitators than lecturers



The Format

We have organized techniques for encouraging communication and participation into these categories:

1. Setting Expectations and Obtaining Feedback

2. Student / Student Interaction

3. Student / Teacher / Class Interaction

4. Students Creating / Leading Classroom Activities

With the Professor as the facilitator



Today – within this 60 minute session(we wish it was 75 to 90 minutes)

We will introduce each area with our thoughts, then in small groups, for 5 minutes, you write the techniques and activities you have found successful for this topic (appoint a scribe)





•Today’s handout will be updated with the ideas presented today,• then emailed to you within 30 days

•Today’s handout will be updated with the ideas presented today,• then emailed to you within 30 days



1. Setting Expectations and Obtaining Feedback (page one of five)

• Both students and professor should introduce themselves and their expectations

• Syllabus should note % of grade for participation and the rubric by which it would be measured– Ask students to write an essay in first class “Knowing

that participation will be a significant part of the grade, define participation and suggest how it could be measured, qualitatively and quantitatively”

– Feedback a summary of their answers and present the rubric at the next class

– This allows professor to get very early indication of writing skills



• A risk – free environment should be clearly established – No “penalty” for a wrong answer– A good question is good participation

• Spelled out in Syllabus– Discussed in first class session

• Obtain real-time feedback– Give each student 3 small colored pieces of

paper which they should slide forward on their desk as they feel appropriate

• Green – I understand the discussion• Yellow – please slow down• Red – I’m lost

1. Setting Expectations and Obtaining Feedback (page two of five)

Two typesof feedback

•Their Thoughts (see next

page)

•Their Knowledge

(see page 13)

Two typesof feedback

•Their Thoughts (see next

page)

•Their Knowledge

(see page 13)



Students can be provided with a “Weekly Student Feedback Form”. (See Exhibit)

• Five minutes at the end of each class can be provided for the students to fill out the form. Questions include:– “The most interesting part of today’s class was _____

– “The least interesting part of today’s class was _____

– “The most confusing part of today’s class was ______

– “Other comments

• As individual participation and contribution is an important part of the grade, a fifth question can be added– “My contribution to today’s class was ______

– Adding this question provides some motivation for students to complete the form and identify themselves, helping the instructor understand which students may be having more difficulty with the subject material.

Professorsshould

periodicallytell the

class what feedback was received and

actiontakendue to it

1. Setting Expectations and Obtaining Feedback (page three of five)



• The professor should provide feedback (concerning the weekly feedback) to the class on a periodic basis

– Tell the class some of the feedback received. » Where changes are being made based on

the feedback, tell the class.– Be sure to review in the next class topics that

a number of the students found confusing.– Hold discussions outside of class hours with

individual students that are having difficulty..

1. Setting Expectations and Obtaining Feedback (page four of five)



• Specific feedback part-way through the course.

(Why wait to the end of the course to learn the student’s opinions?)

Week #5 or #6 of a 14-week course appears to be an ideal time

– using a different set of questions than the weekly feedback form. (Exhibit #2). Questions could include:

• “What are we doing in this class that is helping your learning?

• “What are we doing in this class that is hindering your learning?

• “What can we do differently to improve your learning?

– For classes with a perceived high workload, a fourth question • “Thus far this semester, how many hours per week of

preparation outside of class are you averaging for this course?”

• Results from this could be compared to the expectations set for the class during the syllabus review in class #1

The professor should feed back a summary of their responses, and what changes, if any, will be made to the remainder of the course to address their concerns.

The professor should feed back a summary of their responses, and what changes, if any, will be made to the remainder of the course to address their concerns.

1. Setting Expectations and Obtaining Feedback (page five of five)



Today – Your Thoughts

5 Minutes for your group to share favorite Techniques• Appoint a scribe to write down the thoughts in a

manner they can be collected and shared







2. Student / Student Interaction(page one of five)

• Setting up teams is important– Permanent or temporary teams– Students normally more comfortable working and

communicating with peers

• In a class with pre-assigned teams, assign weekly “news briefings.” – This is done by team but is not a team activity, i.e.,

each member of Team 1 has a news briefing next week, each member of Team 2 the week after, etc. Each news briefing is to focus on something from the real world that directly relates to what’s being studied that week. Discussion generally flows easily, but must be facilitated by the instructor



• Major class activities and group projects are an opportunity for all students to speak.

– Large group projects can be structured for the teams to choose their own leader, but with a requirement that each student must present a part of the final presentation.

– Again, the group will be motivated to support less confident members as they seek a better group grade.

– To get a true picture of individual learning, require individual papers as well as the group presentation.

• Put two topics on the board– Student A teaches topic #1 to student B, and student

B teaches topic #2 to student A

2. Student / Student Interaction(page two of five)



• Homework assignments can be developed to help students prepare for participation in class.

• Possible assignments for individual students can include:

– Prepare a set of “Cliffs Notes” that summarize the key points in the assigned reading.

– Prepare a “glossary of key terms” in your own words for the key points in the assigned reading.

– Prepare a list of key concepts addressed in the reading with a brief explanation of each concept.

– Students should be more comfortable participating in class discussion and answering questions when armed with a copy of their homework.

• This is also good feedback about knowledge gained

2. Student / Student Interaction(page three of five)



• Case studies can be used as a way of having all students speak and present in the classic classroom

– Give written case briefing assignments as homework. During the following class, specific parts of the case analysis can be assigned to groups of students

• The professor can assign the groups and designate the leader who will also be the presenter.

• For the first case study, the professor can assign individuals as leaders that the instructor feels will be most comfortable in that role.

• Subsequent case studies can be assigned for those less confident to be the leader and speaker for the group.

• Students can be told that they will be judged on how well they work during class preparing and supporting their speaker, thus no speaker should feel unsupported.

2. Student / Student Interaction(page four of five)



• Discussing current events in the business world in class can lead to vibrant discussions.

– This encourages students to stay up to date on business topics in the news via periodicals, business TV and radio programs, etc.

– The homework assignment for the second week of class could be “Choose a current business topic (preferably but not necessarily about the course topic) from some business publication. Write a summary of the current topic or issue, and give your analysis / thoughts about it. This should be a one page typewritten paper”

• This then provides each student with an understanding of at least one current business situation that they can inform their fellow students of in the subsequent class.

• This allows “extemporaneous speaking”, with preparation• Each week, time is set aside for students to discuss current events

they have seen or read about in the business environment..

– Post a question related to a current news item – divide the class into three teams – pro, con and judge

2. Student / Student Interaction(page five of five)



5 Minutes for your group to share favorite Techniques • Appoint a scribe to write down the thoughts in a









3. Student / Teacher / Class Interaction(page one of five)

• Case studies can be used as a way of having all students speak and present in the classic classroom

– Give in-class cases. These always involve a process of: individual study and analysis, then team discussion and agreement, then team presentation of conclusions to the class, then total class discussion.

• The professor can assign the groups and designate the leader.

• For the first case study, the professor can assign individuals as leaders that the instructor feels will be most comfortable in that role.

• Subsequent case studies can be assigned for those less confident to be the leader and speaker for the group.

• Students can be told that they will be judged on how well they work during class preparing and supporting their speaker, thus no speaker should feel unsupported.



3. Student / Teacher / Class Interaction(page two of five)

• Do in-class role playing– both professor-student and student-student. – This is particularly effective when studying the

performance appraisal process and the negotiation/bargaining process.

• Use prepared video (videotape or DVD) presentations.

– The presentation always ties directly into the subject under study and leads to discussion afterwards



3. Student / Teacher / Class Interaction(page three of five)

• Subject matter can be presented with ongoing professor-student discussion of the subject.

– This is a variation of “sage on the stage” in that some minimal lecturing is involved, always using Power Point or standard overhead projector visuals and/or writing definitions and diagrams on the board, with an emphasis on pulling responses from the students.

• The emphasis should be on getting good exchanges with the students and minimal wandering or glazing of eyes

Remember – the average adult attention span is 10 minutesBe prepared to change to a new student activity

Remember – the average adult attention span is 10 minutesBe prepared to change to a new student activity



• Possible homework assignments for individual students can include:

– Prepare a set of “Cliffs Notes” that summarize the key points in the assigned reading.

– Prepare a “glossary of key terms” in your own words for the key points in the assigned reading.

– Prepare a list of key concepts addressed in the reading with a brief explanation of each concept.

– Students should be more comfortable participating in class discussion and answering questions when armed with a copy of their homework.


(page four of five)



• Cases in a class with an on-line component – Give online case analysis and discussion assignments. – Each week a case is assigned for which two responses are required:

• An independent analysis of the case in the form of an online essay based on the week’s text reading (due by midnight of a predetermined day)

• Online responses to others’ analyses, (due by midnight of the day before class )

– It is useful to read the two sets of responses• Assign a grade that combines quality of essay and quality/quantity of

responses to others, i.e., is this being blown off or taken seriously, with productive online discussion?

– Discuss the online cases in conventional classroom as little as possible but in relation to their importance in understanding an aspect of the subject for that week

3. Student / Teacher / Class Interaction(page five of five)



4. Students Creating / Leading Classroom Activities (page one of two)

• In a class with teams, assign a weekly “team presentation and discussion.”

– This is a team effort that requires research, preparation of visuals (usually Power Point), and equal participation by each team member during the presentation.

– The team also prepares five questions for the class and leads a discussion following the presentation.

– The professor could announce their option to put one of these questions on the final exam

Peer evaluations of performance provide feedback to professor and student

Peer evaluations of performance provide feedback to professor and student



• Assigning “short essays” (max two pages) based on subjects from the text produces good results.

– Have students “lecture” in class based on their essays.

– If the students are working adults, connections to their work lives in their essays should be part of this assignment to enrich both communications and the learning process.

– This can generate good discussions, makes the professor less of a “sage on the stage,” more of a facilitator.

– Remind students – their individual “written voice” makes it easy for the professor to identify portions not written by them

4. Students Creating / Leading Classroom Activities (page two of two)



Conclusions

• Thank you for sharing your ideas

• Make sure we have the written ideas from each group

• You have our email addresses– Please send to us additional thoughts and

ideas

• Make sure we have your email address

• We will email to you an update based on your input

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