The Power of Pausing
Today’s tip is from Cengage Learning’s Engaging Minds eNewsletter, December 9, 2014. It is written by Christine Harrington, Ph.D., Middlesex County College.
As college faculty, we are often faced with intense curriculum and the need to “cover” a lot of material. This pressure often results in an increased reliance on lectures. While research has shown that the lecture can be very a very effective teaching method (Baeten, Dochy, & Struyven, 2013), there are several research-based strategies that increase learning via this method of teaching. In this brief article, we’ll focus on one very important strategy: pausing. Studies that support this strategy are listed at the end of the article.
Putting it into Practice:
The research listed illustrates how pausing increases learning. Consider pausing two or three times during every class period. When you pause, you can use a variety of techniques that will encourage students to process the information just learned.
1. Written Summaries—As discussed in the research studies, you can ask students to summarize what they learned in their own words.
2. Share and Compare Notes—You could also ask students to partner with a classmate and share and compare their notes. During this time, students can fill in any information gaps and can discuss the key concepts learned.
3. Highlight Important Points—Another strategy is to ask students to use this time to highlight the main points in their notes and mark topics that they may need to further explore after class.
4. Five Paper Fast Pass—Have students write down three main points just learned on an index card or piece of paper. Students can then quickly exchange papers five times. Students can then partner with a classmate to discuss the concepts on their cards.
After the brief processing time, you can ask students if they have any questions about the content just discussed. If you are on tight on time, you don’t have to process the information, but you may want to consider collecting the index cards with key points or scanning their notebooks as a quick formative assessment technique that will help you know what concepts students found important. Building in opportunities to process information being learned will lead to improved academic performance!
Dr. Christine Harrington is a professor of psychology and student success and director of the Center for the Enrichment of Learning and Teaching at Middlesex County College in NJ. She is also the author of Student Success in College: Doing What Works!, Second Edition. Prior to teaching full time, she worked in the Counseling and Career Services Department, providing disability services and career, academic, and personal counseling. You can also visit Dr. Christine Harrington’s website.
References:
Baeten, M., Dochy, F., & Struyven, K. (2013). The effects of different learning environments on students’ motivation for learning and their achievement. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 83(3), 484-501. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8279.2012.02076.x
Davis, M., & Hult, R. E. (1997). Effects of writing summaries as a generative learning activity during note taking. Teaching of Psychology, 24(1), 47-49.
Drabick, D. G., Weisberg, R., Paul, L., & Bubier, J. L. (2007). Keeping it short and sweet: Brief, ungraded writing assignments facilitate learning. Teaching of Psychology, 34(3), 172-176. doi:10.1080/00986280701498558
Ruhl, K., C. Hughes, and P. Schloss, (1987). Using the pause procedure to enhance lecture recall,” Teacher Education and Special Education, 10, 14–18.
From MCC’s Teaching & Creativity Center: Save June 12, 2015 for our Annual Teaching & Learning Conference!
Julie Damerell
Transitional Studies
01/29/2015 |