5.3 PARTICIPATE IN CLASS

PARTICIPATE IN CLASS
5.3

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To learn how to play a sportand not just watch ityou have to participate. Participation is the heart of active learning. To really learn, you must listen carefully, talk about what you are learning, write about it, and connect it to past experiences. Talking and writing about what you are supposed to be learning deepens the imprinting of these ideas in your brain’s storage capacity and increases the probability of recalling the material when you are asked to do so on exams. When you say something in class, whether in answering a question or as part of a question you are asking, you are more likely to remember it than when you just listen to someone else saying it.

Listen Actively and with an Open Mind

Listening in class is different from watching and listening to a TV show, listening to a friend, or even listening during a meeting. In such everyday activities, you might not be required to remember later or use the information you hear. Knowing how to listen in class can help you get more out of what you hear, understand better what you have heard, and save time. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Be ready for the message. Prepare yourself to hear, to listen, and to receive the message. If you have done the assigned reading, you will already know details from the text, so you can focus your notes on key concepts during the lecture. You will also notice information that the text does not cover and will be prepared to pay closer attention when the instructor presents new material in class or online.

  2. Focus on the main concepts and central ideas, not just on facts and figures. Although facts are important, they will be easier to remember and will make more sense when you can place them within concepts, themes, and ideas. These main ideas are usually identifiable from headings and from what is repeated most often.

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  3. Listen or read for new ideas. Even if you are an expert on a topic, you can still learn something new. Do not assume that college instructors and textbooks will present the same information you learned in a similar course in high school. Even if you’re listening to a similar lecture or reading about the same topic, you will pick out and learn new information. As an engaged student, make a note of questions in your mind as you listen and read, but save the judgments for later.

  4. Repeat mentally. Words can go in one ear and out the other unless you make an effort to remember them. Think about what you hear, and say it silently in your own words. If you cannot translate the information into your own words, ask the instructor for more explanation.

  5. Decide whether what you have heard is not important, somewhat important, or very important. While most of what your instructors say and do in class is important, occasionally they may make comments or tell stories that are only somewhat related to the class material or may not be related at all. If an instructor’s comment is really unrelated to the focus of the class, you don’t need to write it down. If it’s very important, make it a major point in your notes by highlighting or underlining it, or use it as a major topic in your outline if that’s the method you use for taking notes. If it’s somewhat important, try to relate it to a very important topic by writing it down as a part of that topic.

  6. Keep an open mind. Every class holds the promise of letting you discover new ideas and uncover different opinions. Some instructors might present information that challenges your ideas and values on purpose. College is supposed to teach you to think in new ways and train you to provide support for your own beliefs. Instructors want you to think for yourself; they don’t necessarily expect you to agree with everything they or your classmates say. However, if you want people to respect your values and ideas, you must show respect for theirs as well by listening to what they have to say with an open mind. Some of your instructors may actually say things in an attempt to provoke you to react. All they are trying to do is to get you to think in new ways and to become a more critical thinker.

  7. Ask questions. Early in the term, determine whether your instructor wants you to ask questions during the lecture. Some instructors prefer that students ask their questions after the lecture, during separate discussion sections, labs, or office hours. If your instructor answers questions when students ask them, speak up if you did not hear or understand what was said. Ask for explanations immediately, if possible; other students are likely to have the same questions. If you can’t hear another student’s question or response, ask him or her to repeat the question. Asking questions is particularly important in online courses; do not hesitate to e-mail your professor or other classmates to find answers to the questions that you have. And if you feel reluctant to ask a question yourself, conspire with a fellow student to ask the question for you. It doesn’t matter who asks the question just so long as it gets asked. Most faculty really do like students to ask them questions, which means they welcome what might appear to you to be an “interruption.”

  8. Sort, organize, and categorize. When you listen and read, try to match what you are hearing and reading with what you already know. Take an active role in deciding how best to remember what you are learning. If you find yourself daydreaming during a lecture or reading your textbook, quickly refocus your thoughts on the topic and actively take notes. If your daydreaming produces an idea that you want to remember, write it down so you don’t have to worry about forgetting it and then you can come back to it after class. After class or during your instructor’s next office hours, ask him or her to help you fill in any gaps in your notes, or get together with another studentpreferably one who is doing well in the courseand share and compare notes.

Speak Up

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Naturally, you will be more likely to participate in a class in which the instructor emphasizes class discussion, calls on students by name, shows signs of approval and interest, and avoids criticizing students for an incorrect answer. Often, answers you and other students offer may not be quite correct, but they can lead to new perspectives on a topic. In certain types of courses there are fewer “correct” answers, and what matters is how well you can interpret what is being read and discussed and support your views with evidence and arguments.

Whether you are in a large, small, or online class, you might be nervous about asking a question, fearing you will make a fool of yourself. However, it is likely that other students have the same question but were too nervous to ask it. If so, they may thank you silently or even aloud! Many instructors set time aside to answer questions in class, so to take full advantage of these opportunities, try using the following techniques:

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Hands Up! Participating in class not only helps you learn but also shows your instructor that you’re interested and engaged. Like anything else, you may be anxious the first time you raise your hand. But after that first time, you’ll probably find that participating in class raises your interest and enjoyment.
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  1. Take a seat as close to the front as possible and keep your eyes on the instructor. Sitting close to the front can help you concentrate better and not get distracted by other students. It will also make it easier to maintain eye contact with your instructors.

  2. Focus on the lecture and class discussions. Avoid distractions. Sit away from friends who can distract you, do not engage in side conversations, and turn off all digital devices that you are not using for class.

  3. Raise your hand when you don’t understand something. If you don’t understand something, you have the right to ask for an explanation. Never worry that you’re asking a stupid question. The instructor might answer you immediately, ask you to wait until later in the class, or throw your question to the rest of the class. In each case, you benefit in several ways. The instructor will get to know you, other students will get to know you, and you will learn from both the instructor and your classmates. But don’t overdo it, or you’ll risk disrupting class. Office hours provide the perfect opportunity for following up. If you are taking an online course, you can e-mail your questions to your instructor.

  4. Speak up in class. Ask a question, volunteer to answer a question, or make a comment. This becomes easier every time you do it.

  5. When the instructor calls on you to answer a question, don’t bluff. If you know the answer, give it. If you’re not certain, begin with, “I think . . . , but I’m not sure I have it all correct.” If you don’t know, just say so.

  6. If you have recently read a book or article that is relevant to the class topic, bring it in. Use it either to ask questions about the topic or to provide information that was not covered in class. You could also share your reading with your instructor privately either before or after class and ask what his/her opinion is of the source you have found.

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YOUR TURN > TRY IT

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Think about the number of times during the past week you have raised your hand in a particular class or e-mailed your online course instructor to ask a question. How many times has it been? Do you ask questions frequently, or is this something you avoid? Make a list of the reasons you either do or don’t ask questions in class. Do this for each of the courses you are taking, and then compare your findings with your current grades in these courses. Do you see any link between your current grades and the extent to which you ask questions? Would asking more questions help you earn better grades? Do you feel more comfortable e-mailing your questions to your instructor?