DARE TO BE INNOVATIVE: TECHNIQUES FOR BEING MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY ENGAGING WHEN TEACHING LARGER CLASSES

Authors

  • Angie Kolen St. Francis Xavier University

Keywords:

Teaching large classes, student engagement, faculty engagement

Abstract

Students cannot sit and learn for 50, 75 or 150 minutes without some sort of physically and mentally engaging break. In reality, most students cannot focus for more than 10 to 15 minutes before needing to move, and some students may need to move more frequently (Bunce, Flens, & Neiles, 2010). With movement and interaction/interactivity directly connected to class content (versus stand up and stretch) students may learn/remember more, become more engaged with the class material in general and stay awake! In my classes, when I regularly intersperse movement combined with mental engagement in the class content, I create a warmer classroom climate that facilitates teaching and learning partly through enhancing dyadic, small group, and class discussions. Further, physical and mental engagement in the class generally helps with student concentration, student attendance and participation in class, and possibly deeper and more critical reflection of the material covered (Jensen, 2005).

Author Biography

Angie Kolen, St. Francis Xavier University

Angie Kolen (akolen@stfx.ca), a 3M National Teaching Fellow (2010), is a Professor in Human Kinetics at St. Francis Xavier University. Her teaching and research interests are intertwined in that she is passionate about promoting physical activity and healthy living to children, youth, and young adults.

References

Bunce, D. M., Flens, E. A., & Neiles, K. Y. (2010). How long can students pay attention in class? A study of student attention decline using clickers. Journal of Chemical Education, 87, 1438-1443.

Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the Brain in Mind (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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Published

2015-09-01

Issue

Vol. 18 (2014)

Section

Articles

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