Ideas to engage students at beginning of class

[UhOh]

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Anyone have good ideas to engage students right at the beginning of class? I think it'd be helpful.

 

[loveoforganic]

Don't underestimate the power of even the tiniest tangible reward. Throw starburst or hershey's kisses at people who give an acceptable answer

 

[nitemagi]

Which class? In some situations showing examples of a principle, idea, or pathology from TV /Film can engage people, gives them a context to ground abstract ideas.

 

[wigflip]

Don't underestimate the power of even the tiniest tangible reward. Throw starburst or hershey's kisses at people who give an acceptable answer

When I was a psych undergrad, my TAs (most of whom were younger than I was) used to pelt us with candy. A lot of the kiddies seemed to get a kick out of it, but as an older student it bummed me out. Now that I'm even older and crankier, I think I'd throw it back at 'em! At the time, I really just wanted content without the shenanigans. I was paying my own way, and didn't need extrinsic motivation.

My TAs also used to assume that we were all kids who needed concepts converted to analogies "we" could understand (weekend partying, hookups, etc.). Be careful about this kind of pandering if you have a mixed audience (older, non-traditional students).

 

[loveoforganic]

Fair point!

 

[cara susanna]

Man, I don't think I'd ever get sick of or annoyed by free food in class. I can check back with you guys in about twenty years or so, but yeah.

 

[paramour]

Candy annoyed the hell out of me. It annoys me even more when I have instructors who continue to distribute it in class even now--and insist that you take it. I don't want your candy. I don't like your candy. I refuse to take your frakkin' candy tyvm. I'm not a stinkin' dog who salivates upon command... or presentation of the almighty candy bag. 🙄

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I think it depends on the audience: undergrad 18-22yr olds v. non-trad undergrads v. grad, etc. I'd probably do what I do when I give talks....I tell them what I'm going to do, I do it, and then I tell them what I did. Of course during all of this telling, I make things interesting and interactive.

If you really are at a lost, you can think of some odd/interesting/different pop-culture fact about whatever you are lecturing on for that class.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Candy annoyed the hell out of me. It annoys me even more when I have instructors who continue to distribute it in class even now--and insist that you take it. I don't want your candy. I don't like your candy. I refuse to take your frakkin' candy tyvm. I'm not a stinkin' dog who salivates upon command... or presentation of the almighty candy bag. 🙄

Eh, food just seems to be a big thing, particularly in grad school. I've had multiple classes and practica where either the instructors would sometimes pass around candy/snacks, or students themselves would suggest that a different person bring something to eat each week. Some other students get annoyed had having to do so, but in general, it doesn't seem to be much of an issue. I can see how a professor insisting that you take something could get slightly annoying, though, especially since I personally don't eat much candy.

 

[wigflip]

Man, I don't think I'd ever get sick of or annoyed by free food in class. I can check back with you guys in about twenty years or so, but yeah.

I was gonna reply, "Jeez, cara, I'm not THAT much older than you!" Then I realized, yeah, I probably am. 🙁

 

[wigflip]

Candy annoyed the hell out of me. It annoys me even more when I have instructors who continue to distribute it in class even now--and insist that you take it. I don't want your candy. I don't like your candy. I refuse to take your frakkin' candy tyvm. I'm not a stinkin' dog who salivates upon command... or presentation of the almighty candy bag. 🙄

This had me giggling, paramour.

It is really kind of insulting how in grad school admin thinks they can boost grad student attendance at any kind of event by serving a modicum of the worst tasting crap food around (cardboard pizza is a fav of our department, with a side of wilted iceberg lettuce). But people show up and shovel it in! Gross.

I served on a campus task force a year ago--mostly profs and admin--and at the meetings they kept sending around these gawdawful honey-crunch-nut-granola thingies. Took one to be polite the first week--it upset my stomach for the next 24 hours. I don't take one the next week and there's coercion, talk about how few calories there are. Thanks so-called "feminists." I know I'm fat, but I'm not dieting, I just don't want to feel nauseous all day.

Another prof brought pickled herring to a meeting. Seemed surprised that no one else wanted to dribble smelly fish all over ourselves at our table-less chairs.

 

[Quynh2007]

This had me giggling, paramour.

It is really kind of insulting how in grad school admin thinks they can boost grad student attendance at any kind of event by serving a modicum of the worst tasting crap food around (cardboard pizza is a fav of our department, with a side of wilted iceberg lettuce). But people show up and shovel it in! Gross.

I served on a campus task force a year ago--mostly profs and admin--and at the meetings they kept sending around these gawdawful honey-crunch-nut-granola thingies. Took one to be polite the first week--it upset my stomach for the next 24 hours. I don't take one the next week and there's coercion, talk about how few calories there are. Thanks so-called "feminists." I know I'm fat, but I'm not dieting, I just don't want to feel nauseous all day.

Another prof brought pickled herring to a meeting. Seemed surprised that no one else wanted to dribble smelly fish all over ourselves at our table-less chairs.

ouch sorry to hear that, we generally get served pretty well if it's not "potluck" so to speak. The "worst" we ever get is Panera. If it's pizza, there's a local pizza place called Pizza Perfect that we order from and it really is pizza perfect. soooooo gooood.

Anyway, ideas to engage students that are cool is to do a short psych experiment at the beginning of class (if you are teaching psych).

If you are teaching statistics, you can definitely do the candy stuff, and do some analysis with the students based on the candy too (i.e. sampling error).

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

If you are teaching statistics, you can definitely do the candy stuff, and do some analysis with the students based on the candy too (i.e. sampling error).

Statistics as a subject is dry, but when applied to interesting cases...it really can be quite fun. I've found trying to use examples that will be interesting gives the best shot at students actually caring about the topic. My old econ prof. was infamous for using alcohol for examples in micro economics class. She would teach supplemental goods, complementary goods, etc...through the lens of the cost of making different brand martinis using either vodka or gin. I took the class ~14 years ago...and I *still* remember her examples. Stats can be taught the same way, though I prefer baseball & business examples.

 

[wigflip]

I'm thinking about these issues a lot because, despite all my kvetching about exploitation of adjuncts, I'm probably going to start adjuncting this upcoming year. I think applicability of examples is great, as long as it's not pandering. Martini mixing analogies sound okay, but a prof at our school used a lot of binge drinking and hooking up examples, assuming that everyone in the class identified with the party scene. It was kind of alienating and inappropriate.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I'm thinking about these issues a lot because, despite all my kvetching about exploitation of adjuncts, I'm probably going to start adjuncting this upcoming year. I think applicability of examples is great, as long as it's not pandering. Martini mixing analogies sound okay, but a prof at our school used a lot of binge drinking and hooking up examples, assuming that everyone in the class identified with the party scene. It was kind of alienating and inappropriate.

I think in that context it would be innappropriate. My prof. actually consulted with a premium spirits company, so it was a relevant example from her "real life" work. Of course, she would joke that she did it for all of the freebies/swag.