Strategies to Refocus Learners
What are some strategies you utilize to refocus learners when teaching a long time span of hands-on content?
I try my best to use a combination of lecture and hands-on activities. At my school we have limited space and it makes it difficult when I have a large class. I have to take groups one at a time to the area where we do labs and teach them what they are to be doing. This leaves the other groups sitting and waiting. I'm definantley going to try to use some of these ideas to help the other groups stay busy.
Creating review activities with crossword puzzles or word searches might keep the rest of the group busy while you are taking others to the lab. This way it is just as productive for the waiting students as it is for those with you.
Have each student use index cards to list the steps of the skill. They pair up with someone and take turns putting the index cards in order or guessing the next step to the skill after picking the first index card.
Ordering steps on index cards allows students to see what they are missing and how things fit together. This is a wonderful technique!
I like this strategy and have used it. It works well in the clinical medical setting.
Mariann U
I try my best to try different approaches to help refocus learners.
We have a practice dummy in the classroom that I try to use often. After a lesson plan if the dummy can be utilized then I will do an activity involving hands on training.
Also I try to mix up different learning approaches by introducing different activities or games. One of their favorites is my version of Jeopardy.
Anything to take a break from the lecture and see it first hand I try.
I have used M and M's for a dosage calculation class and they have to calculate the dose and show me how many M and M's they would give. Then they get to eat the M and M's
Colleen, thank you for sharing this great idea. I will try it with my learners the next chance I get!
I try to relate medical situations to what they may have seen in their life experiences. When discussing muscles for examples and the importance of warm up exercises, I talk about a water hose. When in the winter and it is cold the hose is not flexible, but when the temp is warm it is very fleible, such as the muscles become after warm up.
That is a great analogy, Martha. Thanks for sharing!
I like to apply the material to real life situations and involve the students in the discussions. I find that making them see how it applies to them or someone they know helps to solidify it more for them.
If we are just creating busy work, I feel that MY adult learners will resent it and "shut down".
I agree, each interactive learning activity should have a purpose and a tie to content or it is not the right thing to do.
Pictionary. The students get into 3 or 4 teams. The best drawer goes to the board and draws a cell or instrument or organ. The other teams guess. The team with the higest score get a prize or bonus points on next test.
Rebecca, I'm sure this is a successful method for reinforcing terminology. Keep up the good work!
Rebecca, any ideas on how I could may this work in the clinical setting. Thanks
Hands on instruction should be progressive, so after a break I'd have everyone start from the beginning again and go through the steps up to where we left off. Provides an excellent review as well as ties the concepts together.
Kyla, I like the way you are planning to adapt this idea to meet the needs of your class. You know what will work with your learners and what won't fly. Hope these ideas are helpful.
Lego Blocks. I recently used Lego blocks in order for students to demonstrate catabolic and anabolic metabolic reactions. I think using the blocks helped students to really comprehend the content being discussed.
