Involve students in group activities that require them to explain and teach each other. This promotes collaboration, critical thinking, and a sense of community among classmates.

The flipped classroom model allows students to self-direct their learning and meet innate psychological needs based on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This includes autonomy, relatedness, and competence.

Interactive Techniques

As opposed to the lecture-style learning that was once favored in classrooms, interactive techniques are more holistic and open-ended. This type of learning allows students with all manner of learning requirements to be accommodated.

It also encourages collaboration, which can sharpen focus and help students to develop problem-solving skills. For example, by working in pairs or triads to discuss topics during class, students are exposed to the viewpoints of a wider range of their peers than they would be when responding to a question from the teacher alone.

Additionally, interactivity breaks up the monotony of lecture and keeps students from checking out or falling asleep. For these reasons, it is an ideal way to enliven any classroom! The following methods are commonly used to promote interactive learning in the classroom.

Group Discussions

Group discussions offer participants a chance to analyze and interpret a topic. This form of discussion allows participants to develop critical thinking skills and defend their opinions while also promoting long-term retention.

Getting the Discussion Started

A few simple tricks can help you get your class's discussion off to a fast start. For example, consider asking students to think up questions ahead of time so that they are ready to contribute to the conversation or distribute a reading amongst the class to familiarize students with the discussion topics.

Another option is to set up the discussion in a fishbowl-like arrangement with one inner circle that participates in the conversation and an outer circle that silently observes or takes notes. The members of the outer circle may periodically trade places with those in the inner circle, like a relay race.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a creativity stimulating teaching technique that requires students to think outside the box. It encourages lateral thinking and creative solutions to problems, and is effective at generating ideas that may not be immediately obvious (Sahin, 2005).

However, there are some challenges with brainstorming that must be addressed to ensure its success in the classroom. These include the tendency to reduce it to just a chat session and a failure to evaluate ideas as well as the tendency of students to compete instead of collaborate during the process.

To overcome these issues, teachers should provide a clear brief and agenda for the brainstorming session. In addition, groups should be selected carefully to ensure that they have a variety of experiences, knowledge, and academic disciplines. This will help ensure that they suggest more varied and unique ideas.

Flipped Classroom Model

The flipped classroom model aims to increase student engagement by replacing traditional lecture time with interactive class activities. This approach allows students to learn at their own pace, think critically and work collaboratively with other classmates, all while teachers are available for guidance.

This method also reduces the amount of direct instruction in class, which can help improve student retention. However, it can be difficult to implement, especially with nontraditional students who often have outside responsibilities and may lack access to technology.

Fortunately, research shows that students generally appreciate the flipped classroom approach. In fact, a study revealed that positive attitudes towards the flipped classroom were associated with increased motivation, better learning and more effective learning. For instructors, utilizing pedagogical technologies like Epiphan Pearl hardware encoders can help them save time in creating study materials while increasing student interaction and motivation.

Case Studies

Incorporating case studies in class gives students a chance to practically apply their knowledge to real-world situations. They also help students understand the relevance of course topics to their chosen career fields. The use of case studies can increase students’ confidence levels and motivation.

In the case of classroom conflicts, teachers are often subjected to a range of emotions that can lead to different coping strategies (Galtung, 2000). For instance, teachers may feel happiness when instructional objectives are met, pride when their students surpass expectations, frustration when the learning process is disrupted, anger when students misbehave, and anxiety when they perceive competence challenges.

To reduce the impact of these emotions on their ability to teach, it is important for teachers to build a sense of community in their classrooms. To do this, instructors can consider a variety of methods such as group work and discussion boards.