Doing Collaborative Learning in a Large Lecture Classroom

by Colleen Keery (Biology)

Pause Procedure

• By using three two-minute pauses during the lecture (about every 13 to 18 minutes), the students are given the chance to clarify, assimilate, and retain the information presented during the prior mini-lecture.
• The pause procedure can be used as a vehicle to carry into the traditional lecture a variety of active and collaborative learning structures.
• Example: Ask students to turn to their neighbor and summarize the main ideas the instructor has just presented.
• Alternate 10-15 minute mini-lectures with informal group work that addresses some aspect of the mini-lecture
  • Specific homework problems
  • Non-graded quizzes
  • Quickwrites
  • Student-student discussion
  • Note comparison
  • An initial exercise could consist of new or previously assigned questions that relate to the upcoming lecture.
  • The final exercise may be problem solving (and finished at home), or a quickwrite (List three major points in the last lecture and one point you are confused on).

Quickwrites

• Two-Five Minute Essays:

  Students are asked to write in the last five minutes of class answers to the following:

  1. What did you learn in class today? And
  2. What questions or concerns do you have?

Students assemble into groups of four to share their responses and select the best one or two questions to submit to the entire class.

• Ask students to write the main ideas from the previous lecture, to tell what they already know about a certain topic before it is presented in class, to explain a particular topic, or to generate several questions they think may appear on the next exam. In each case, students are paired or grouped to discuss their ideas. When appropriate, students in pairs or groups can generate a new inclusive list or one that selects the five best ideas.
  
• Short writing assignments that can usually be written on a 5x8-inch index card and later their ideas can be discussed with other students. For example, a conceptual question is asked and students compare a written response.

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