Engaging Your Audience
Think-Pair-Share
I have noticed students ages four to eleven all enjoy talking with their peers. Instead of attempting to get students to sit quietly throughout lessons, allowing students to talk about the subject matter helps keep them engaged. The strategy used for this is referred to as "think-pair-share". Using this strategy, the teacher will present a question for the students. After a minute of thinking, students will turn to a peer to discuss their thoughts (sometimes, I allow students to choose their talking partner, and other times, they are assigned talking partners). After allowing student discussion and collaboration, it is time for students to share. Sometimes, I ask students to raise their hands if they would like to share their ideas. Other times, I ask students to raise their hands if they would like to share their partner's ideas- this encourages students to listen intently to their partner during the discussion. As a class, we can now have a whole group discussion about our thoughts on the question-- are our thoughts the same, different, or similar in some way?
I have used the think-pair-share strategy in the classroom as an educator and also participated in the strategy as a trainee. During trainings that incorporate think-pair-share, I feel more confident sharing my answers with a whole group after talking with a peer. This leads me to the research Mundelsee & Jurowski (2021) conducted on the impact of think-pair-share on students. They concluded when educators use think-pair-share in their classrooms, it:
- Increases students' willingness to share their ideas (para. 1)
- Lowers anxieties about classroom participation (para. 1)
- Provides timid learners with a chance to collaborate and share with one peer instead of forcing them to share with the whole class (para. 1)
Scenario-Based Learning
Another strategy used to engage learners is "scenario-based learning". This strategy is similar to simulations, which "allow participants to examine issues and problems that arise in a specific situation (Gregler, 2004, as cited by Brown & Green, 2024). Simply put, scenario-based learning employs interactive scenarios, allowing learners to acquire skills in a realistic and safe setting. To provide an example, I will share the scenario-based learning I plan to incorporate into a training where my audience will be other educators. My training will be on a new teaching method called Modern Classroom. For teachers to understand the teaching method and the impact it has on students, I plan to create a "classroom" in which the educators are the students learning through Modern Classroom. This scenario will allow teachers to put themselves in the shoes of their students to discover their likes and dislikes of learning through the Modern Classroom method.
Scenario-based learning can benefit people of all ages, from young children to adults. Mamakli et al. (2022) concluded through research that in comparison to other learning methods, scenario-based learning "may even produce better outcomes regarding academic achievement and student satisfaction" (para. Conclusion 1). Check out more benefits of scenario-based learning below!
Still wanting more tips and tricks for keeping your audience engaged? Watch this!
References
Brown, A., & Green T. (20204). The essentials of instructional design: Connecting fundamentals principles with process and practice. Routledge.
Mamakli, S., Alimoğlu, M. K., & Daloğlu, M. (2023). Scenario-based learning: preliminary evaluation of the method in terms of students’ academic achievement, in-class engagement, and learner/teacher satisfaction. Advances in Physiology Education, 47(1), 144–157. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00122.2022
Mundelsee, L., & Jurkowski, S. (2021). Think and pair before share: Effects of collaboration on students’ in-class participation. Learning and Individual Differences, 88, 102015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2021.102015
Meredith,
ReplyDeleteSo many of these cooperative learning strategies are so similar. What I explained as being reciprocal teaching could be classified as scenario-based learning, depending on how it is explained. Your description of the latter was so clear that it helped me see the similarities. In my blog research I found an article that summarized research in which cooperative learning techniques were combined with other instructional training activities into what the authors called “Remap Coople, an acronym for Reading - Concept Mapping - Cooperative Learning'' (Zubaidah, et al., 2020). With all the talk about cooperative learning strategies, I find it easy to forget that sometimes students need independent practice, as Brown & Green remind us in chapter eight of our text.
-M. E. Sammis
References
Brown, A., & Green, T. (2024). The Essentials of Instructional Design: Connecting Fundamental Principles with Process and Practice. Fifth Edition. New York: Routledge.
Zubaidah, S., Mahanal, S., Sholihah, M., Rosyida, F., & Kurniawati, Z. L. (2020). Using remap RT (reading - concept mapping - reciprocal teaching) learning model to improve low-ability students’ achievement in biology. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal 10(3), 117-144. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1273189.pdf
Meredith,
ReplyDeleteI loved your examples of good instructional design, especially scenario based learning. Mallillin et al. (2023) state, "Issues and challenges must be solved step by step in the educational setting. This can enhance better learning outcome." (p. 43). Scenario based learning is great way to reach all learners through the use of problem solving instruction. Brown and Green (2024) state, "These interactions and events are what the learners participate in to gain new knowledge, skill, and insight." (p. 138). Students can learn from the textbook, but true understanding and comprehension comes from good instructional design like scenario-based learning where students are hands-on and working together to solve a problem.
References
Brown, A. & Green, T. (2024). The essentials of instructional design: Connecting fundamental principles with process and practice (5th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003404835
Mallillin, L. et al. (2023). Instructional design for effective classroom pedagogy of teaching. Eureka Journal of Educational Research 1(2). 41-52. doi:10.56773/ejer.v1i2.6
Meredith,
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of the "Think-Pair-Share" technique because it allows for a safe environment for students to share their thinking with others. Speaking from experience, I feel much more comfortable sharing my thoughts and ideas with a partner or small group rather than in a whole group setting. I love it because it provides many opportunities for students to collaborate during the learning process. According to Sajidan et al. (2023), students should develop collaborative skills because they support learning achievement. I am beginning to learn more about scenario-based learning and would love to explore how I might use it with my students. This particular design strategy is intriguing to me because it has a real-world application attached to it. In my opinion, it makes the learning more meaningful. If I were to categorize the two strategies into types of learning environments, I would say that Think-Pair-Share reflects a learner-centered environment and Scenario-Based Learning reflects a community-centered environment (Brown & Green, 2024). I think both are important for creating engaging and meaningful learning for students.
-Tanishia Smith-Sims
Brown, A. B., & Green, T. D. (2024). The essentials of instructional design: Connecting fundamental principles with process and practice. (5th ed.). Routledge.
Sajidan, Atmojo, I. R. W., Adi, F. P., Saputr, D. Y., & Ardiansyah, R. (2023). The effectiveness of the think-pair-project-share (tp2s) learning model in facilitating collaborative skills of prospective teachers in elementary schools. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 13(3), 117–124.