Adult attention span
When instructing adults, who work full time jobs, the attention span fluxuates during evening classes. I find it necessary to vary activities from lecture to lab to group project, etc., to keep them going until class is dismissed.
Anyone have input along these lines?
Hi Bill,
Good strategy to keep things moving. What methods have you found to be most effective in keeping students on task and focused when they come to class after a long day's work?
I teach from 4 until 10 and I know I have to change the pace constantly. I am always on the look out for ideas and new methods to help me do this.
Thanks for sharing.
Gary
Free coffee, lots of breaks and lots of hands on and group work; I teach computer networking.
Bill
Bill,
I seem to have the same problem it doesn't matter if it's my morning students or my night students. If I can't find that good balance of lecture time, lab time, and group projects. It just doesn't seem to work. I've found that having mini lectures and mini groups at the beginning of the class and labs at the end seems to get the most work out of my students.
I agree with you about the necessity to vary the class activities in the adults instructing situation. I try my self to do these types of lectures all the time.
Hi Viorel,
Variety helps keep the mind and body of students engaged in the learning process. By using the mini-lecture approach you will be helping the students to learn and retain the material you are trying to get across.
Keep up the good work.
Gary
I agree, it takes keeping the class active. I'll give 10 to 15 minutes of content as a mini lecture and then I will have either a group discussion or stop for questions or give a demonstration of the topic being covered. Then resume with another 10-15 minute mini lecture and brake it up with group discussions, demonstration and questions whatever fits the content being covered and make sure we have coffee breaks.
Hi Denise,
Good approach. Variety is the keep in keeping learners engaged. You have a nice pace set up for your students.
Gary
Adults, you have to keep their interest imediately with something that may imply a little humor, but yet being focused on your subject seems to work. If there are any suggestions it would certainly help.
I learn someting today, I used to keep students lecture for 30 to 45 minutes before group them for lab and research.I definitely will try to run a shorter time span for my next class
Hi Phoung,
I know you are going to have better results with mini-lectures. Go about 15 minutes have an activity and then go another 15 minutes with an activity. Your students will be able to focus better with these shorter lecture spans.
Gary
Mixing it up seems to work best morning or evening. I do a combination of notes on the board and lecturing on the topic and it is not unusual to veer off on another branch of the same topic. Keeps things interesting.
Hi Barbara,
Good strategy. I know I have to work hard with my evening classes as I start them at 4 and go until 10. So my students really start to wear down around 8. That's when variety has to become a part of my teaching strategy.
Gary
I do combination of notes, hands on and lectures.. and works good
I find it helpful to try to incorporate elements in their daily routine into the lecture and discussions in order to keep things relevent, while bogging down the pace. Students tend to relate to applications that directly apply to the iniques perspectives and experiences
Hi David,
Good point. It is amazing how often students don't transfer what they are learning in school to their lives outside of school. The reason they are in school is to acquire the skills and knowledge to enable them to earn a living in career area. Bringing in the relevent information related to their field is a way of helping that tranfer to occur. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I teach two classes in the afternoon. The first is from 1 to 4, the second is from 4 to 7 in the evening. I find that the last class has a completley different attitude then the first. The first class usually is the more alert and into the material. The second class is mentally done for the day when they arrive. Not to mention, pretty much everyone from both of my classes has another lecture format class directly after my class at 7 to look foward too. So the 4 to 7 class is always looking for a way to get out early.
So I have the problem of covering the same material twice back to back. In most cases I do a more efficient job of covering the material the second time around, though I sometimes find myself working harder to connect with the less engaged class. Any suggestions?
Hi Mark,
I have almost the same situation. I go from 4 until 7 and then 7 until 10. The 4 to 7 bunch a tired and hungry and the 7 to 10 bunch are tired and full. Either way they have to be rallied to become engaged in the learning process.
I use mini-lectures (10-15 minutes) then activities. I introduce all kinds of media and demonstrations to the the pace moving and changing. I put the students into work groups and then pull them back together to group problem solve or share their results. The point is I keep movement a constant. You will be amazed at how moving chairs into a circle to discuss is enough activity to kick the brain back into gear. Little things like that will help a lot in keeping your students focused.
Gary
Wow. I thought it was 30 minutes. We can sit and watch a 2 hour movie, but we can only pay attention in class for 15-18 minutes. Other than practical demonstrations and breaks, how do we keep their attention?
Hi May,
There are a number of little things you can do to refocus the attention span of students. After completing a point you can pause for 5 seconds. The silence makes the students reconnect to the situation. They will look up from their notes or workstations and that allows their brains to rest a second and then they are ready to hear more information. Another way is to move around the classroom or lab. This also requires that they reconnect their vision with their brain as they will look up and zero in on your new position. Anything that will enable them to pause and shift their brains into netural for a second and then reconnect keeps their attention. This is in addition to the items you mentioned such as demonstrations and activities.
Gary
