Tips for Teaching for Student Involvement

Tip Sheet No. 5

"Teaching for Student Involvement"

Lou Turley, Marketing

1. Treat your entrance to class as an entrance to a theatre stage.
2. Instructors need to generate enthusiasm in order to simulate student participation - but the enthusiasm must be sincere and a reflection of one's true self.
3. Show interest in students by learning their names early in the semester and having them learn their fellow students' names. Suggestions for doing so included taking photos (by groups of about 7) then copying the photo for students to learn and be quizzed over. Also asking students when they introduce themselves to tell about some vivid experience can help students and you remember each other.
4. Group work in the college classroom is justified by the importance of group problem-solving in employment settings.
5. Have students seat themselves by their position on an issue: Pro on one side and Con on the other. As the class debates the issue, students influenced by an argument can move toward that direction (with Undecided in the middle). The speaker gets feed-back on the effectiveness of his/her argument.
6. Assign part of the class grade to class participation, not just attendance. Tips generated by workshop attendees.
For more information about this workshop, contact any of the following individuals who attended it or the CTL staff: Wieb Van Der Meer, Sheryl Venabble, Kay W. Terry, Sally Kuhlenschmidt, Marg Deller, Mary Wolinski, Pat Moore, Ralph Gola, or Carol Barsky.