Let Students Summarize the Previous Lesson

Students often think of class sessions as isolated events—each containing a discrete chunk of content. Those who take notes during class will put the date along the top and then usually leave a space between each session, which visually reinforces their belief that the concepts and material aren’t connected. But in most of our courses, today’s content links to material from the previous session as well as to what’s coming up next. A lot happens in the lives of students between class sessions, though, and if they don’t anticipate a quiz, how many review their notes before arriving in class? And so the teacher starts class with a review.
Having a quick recap is a good idea, but what about having students prepare and present that review? That’s what Professor Annie Blazer does. Each of her class sessions begins with a three- to-five-minute summary of the main ideas discussed in the previous session, and that summary is presented by a student. Each student signs up to do a summary, as this is a course assignment. Blazer leads off with the first one showing students what she expects the review to cover. Their summaries must contain the “three elements of greatest significance” from the previous session (p. 344). To identify these elements, Blazer refers students to discussion questions that appear on the syllabus, course objectives, and their own insights as to the central themes of the current unit. “To receive full credit on this assignment, a student must correctly identify the most relevant information from a class session, summarize and prioritize this information, and deliver it confidently to the class.” (p. 344)
The assignment has a number of benefits. It refreshes students’ memories—reminding them about content and topics from the previous session. It’s a low-stakes way to help students develop presentation skills. They have the opportunity to practice speaking in front of their peers, and they get feedback from the instructor. The quality of a prepared summary is better than if the instructor simply calls on a students and asks what happened last time the class met. Confronted with the pressure of having to do the next session summary motivates serious and detailed note-taking, followed by some review and analysis of those notes in preparation for leading the next review session. There’s a chance those two activities may show students the value of careful note-taking and review, and not just when they’re on deck.
Various iterations of the assignment are possible. If there’s no time for the review or it’s an online course, the student summary could be posted on the course website. It could be formatted as a single document that students could download and use to guide the review of class notes when preparing for an exam. Or perhaps what students prepare isn’t a summary, but a list of three or four ways the material presented in class relates to material in the assigned reading or content covered in the previous unit.
Different grading options could be used. Maybe this is an extra credit assignment, worth more when the summary is of a week’s worth of class sessions or of the whole unit. Maybe preparation and posting of the summary is another way to get credit for “participating” in the course. We have written before in the blog about the value of broadening our definitions for what counts as participation so that students who find it hard to speak up in class can still contribute in ways that support the learning efforts of others.
The activity is a great example of a learning task that students should be doing, rather than having the teacher do it for them. It’s nice (and easy) for them when they get a summary provided by the teacher, but that doesn’t teach them how to create a summary and it doesn’t force an encounter with the content that reveals how much of it they do or don’t understand. Teachers do learning tasks like these for students, motivated by good intentions. Most students, certainly those who weren’t in class, aren’t going to summarize the session as well as the teacher can. The teacher’s summary will be accurate, well organized, and coherent. That’s a lovely gift to give students, but it’s not as valuable or enduring as the gift that teaches students how to do their own summaries.
Reference: Blazer, A. (2014). Student summaries of class sessions. Teaching Theology and Religion, 17 (4), 344.
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Fostering Student Learning through the Use of Debates

There are many ways to get students engaged in a classroom, but when topics are controversial or taboo, students may shy away from sharing their thoughts on the subject. In contrast, some may be so overly passionate about a topic that they proselytize their point. One tactic that helps students feel comfortable enough to speak about controversial topics is through debates that are structured and promote students’ preparedness in defending or opposing a particular stance on a topic.
Debates allow students to see both sides of a situation, topic, or story, and debates also require them to think critically and support what they say with substantive and factual information. Although emotions and biases may come out in a debate, the research-based supporting information helps give context to those emotions and biases and can foster critical thinking, especially if students argue the position opposite to their initial beliefs. The “consider the opposite strategy” may force students to set aside their emotions and biases and evaluate the evidence supporting both sides of a controversial issue (Budesheim & Lundquist, 2000).

Arguing the opposite position can be an effective strategy for challenging students’ initial assumptions.

For a Psychology of Women course, debates were used mainly to help students see past their predispositions, since it has been noted that students enter such courses with their own biases (Chrisler, 2013). Additionally, because classroom debates can foster critical thinking, considering information presented in the debates may help students move past those biases in this course and possibly change their minds about a topic or at least be more educated about the “other side.” In order to incorporate debating effectively, the following was done:

1. Participants were given a list of issues, they voted for their preferred topics, and the most popular issues were selected (e.g., Are single-sex schools and classes effective?).
2. Students were randomly assigned to one position of the selected controversial issue in the field. The in-class debate was coupled with a reflection paper that asked students to consider the strengths and weaknesses of both positions. Then, students were randomly assigned to groups so that some had to argue the position counter to what they originally believed.
3. Each student submitted a paper addressing how his or her group, as well as the opposing group, used theory and research from the course and additional sources in the literature to formulate their debate position. In so doing, students noted the strengths and limitations of their arguments, as well as those of the opposition. Students also discussed how their thinking may have changed or developed over the course of the assignment.

Some students were apprehensive about the debates and were uncomfortable displaying their emotions when debating a topic that they felt very passionate about. The following data was gathered and presented to the students to help them better understand the purpose of the debates:

1. An issue assessment was conducted at three points (i.e., pre-debate, post-debate, and in a post-reflection paper). For their issue, students indicated what side they favored. Students also indicated how confident they were that their opinions were correct on a 1 (Not at All Confident) to 7 (Very Confident) scale.
2. Students completed a post-debate survey modeled on Vo and Morris’s (2006) scale, which included statements such as: The debate makes me see the real-world relevance of this course better, the debate makes this course more interesting and exciting, and the debate teaches me to think more critically.
3. To evaluate the “consider the opposite” strategy, calculations were made of the absolute value of the difference in pre-issue assessment to post-issue assessment. This enabled a captured change, regardless of whether the student initially sided with the affirmative or negative position.

An independent sample t-test was conducted to examine differences in change scores for those assigned to a position that matched their original views or those assigned to a position that ran counter to their original views. Students who were assigned to argue a position inconsistent with their views had higher change scores on the issue assessment than those assigned to argue a position consistent with their views, t (21) = 2.48, p < .05. This suggests that arguing the opposite position can be an effective strategy for challenging students’ initial assumptions.
Students were able to see firsthand how the debates that they prepared for helped them confirm their belief in their positions and/or become educated about the other views. In addition, students believed debates helped them recognize the real-world relevance of the course material, which helped them understand that emotions and biases can cloud one’s perspective about a certain situation, topic, or story. Finally, this information helped the students understand that debating does not equal fighting but instead understanding, an idea that students could easily transfer to other courses.
References:
Budesheim, T. L., & Lundquist, A. R. (2000). Consider the opposite: Opening minds through in-class debates on course-related controversies. Teaching of Psychology, 26, 106-120.
Chrisler, J. C. (2013). Teaching about gender: Rewards and challenges. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 14, 264-267.
Vo, H. X., & Morris, R. L. (2006). Debate as a tool in teaching economics: Rationale, technique, and some evidence. Journal of Education for Business, 8, 315-320.
Laura Trujillo-Jenks is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Texas Woman’s University. Lisa Rosen is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Philosophy at Texas Woman’s University.
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Strategies for Addressing Student Fear in the Classroom

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April 27th, 2015

By: T. Scott Bledsoe, Psy.D. and Janice Baskin

Upon setting foot in the classroom at the beginning of the semester, many students experience varying degrees of anxiety or fearfulness. As educators, we often sense nervousness among our pupils as we introduce ourselves and hand out copies of the course syllabus to review. Most students settle in shortly, but some may remain consistently fearful. Is it possible that their high levels of fear negatively affect their ability to learn in the classroom from week to week? In this article, we discuss the role of debilitating fear in some students’ lives and identify ways that educators can help them attain success despite their anxiety.
Humans normally experience fear starting at an early age, and as we grow older, we develop resources to manage and overcome this feeling. Those who believe they are physically inadequate, for example, may work hard to excel in sports and other socially-sanctioned activities. After many years of schooling, however, some develop ongoing or chronic feelings of worry and apprehension, and this constant fear can hinder learners’ attempts to understand the information that is required for academic success. Here are some examples of ways in which students experience fear in the classroom:

• They are overly fearful of their performance due to the perceived threat of failure. Even temporary successes are overshadowed by the apprehension of washing out on the next assignment or test.
• Some “choke” when comparing themselves to others. They may say to themselves, “These people are bound to do better than me in class,” and feel excessively burdened by competition with others to achieve sufficient grades.
• Students may be overly shy or even terrified of being singled out in class. Some may suffer from a condition known as gelotophobia, or the fear that others will laugh at them.
• Cultural factors can play a crucial role in perpetuating fears faced by students from other countries. They can feel confused about the dynamics of American classrooms, a condition sometimes called “fear of foreignness.”

Fear can cause students to experience adverse responses physiologically (e.g., shortness of breath), cognitively (inability to focus or concentrate, obsessive thinking, replaying in their minds problematic incidents that occurred in previous classes), and emotionally (easily agitated, overcome by excessive nervousness, frustration, and other negative feelings). Such levels of fear may result in inappropriate class behavior, poorly completed or missing assignments, frequent absences, or dropping out of courses at the first sign of trouble.

Make it a goal to promote cultural fairness so that each student can feel safe and valued in your class.

Here are six strategies for helping students overcome their fears:

1. Educate yourself about fear and its impact on students. Take time to learn about important biological effects of fear that include blushing and racing heart, and cognitive factors, such as negative messages that students tell themselves. By learning more about how fear works, we can become more aware of important telltale signs and more proactive toward helping students feel more comfortable and confident.
2. Recognize that some student fears may be associated with factors outside the classroom. Many students take on multiple jobs, experience family challenges, and face other stress factors that keep them from performing well in the classroom. Engaging in dialogue with students about their challenges and discussing ways to manage them may help students feel more involved in your course and be more persistent to succeed.
3. Help students become aware of their feelings of anxiety when they occur. Students are often unaware of their fear-based responses and thus may feel helpless to control them. Plan to demonstrate simple anxiety management strategies, such as breathing techniques, stretching, or relaxation methods that can help students ease their feelings of discomfort. Research shows that these techniques are effective in promoting calmness during high-stress activities, such as quizzes and group discussions.
4. Create a nurturing environment for your students. Use learner-centered activities (e.g., small groups) and provide multiple means of student engagement. Clearly articulate instructions for assignments and assess their understanding so that you are confident students are well-informed and less fretful about the objectives of each lesson. Additionally, make it a goal to promote cultural fairness so that each student can feel safe and valued in your class.
5. Be proactive in communicating with students outside the classroom. Although busy schedules may inhibit our ability to form deep relationships with students, a quick email to your more fearful learners can be reassuring and helps promote better communication. Even sending a note to the entire class (“I just wanted to send a quick ‘hello’ to touch base with all of you …”) can go far in easing apprehension among some individuals.
6. Be aware of campus resources to help students. A number of universities provide formal early alert systems, counseling services, and other interventions such as workshops for reducing stress and anxiety. Obtain or create a list of key resources and specific contacts that you can share with those who are exhibiting behaviors that may be driven by fear.

Many of our students are challenged initially with a plethora of emotions and jittery feelings that tend to dissipate over the semester. Yet often a small number of learners consistently experience problematic emotions that hinder their ability to meaningfully connect with the course-related content presented in class. As we work toward understanding the root of their stress and promoting a safe environment for learning, we will ultimately help our students successfully acquire the course content we work so hard to teach them.
References:
Bledsoe. T.S., & Baskin, J.J. (2014). Recognizing student fear: The elephant in the classroom. College Teaching, 62(1). 32-41.
T. Scott Bledsoe, is an assistant professor at Azusa Pacific University. Janice Baskin is the director of library publications at Azusa Pacific University.