Think-pair-share: how to structure online classes

This video will cover: 

00:06 What is “think-pair-share” and why does it work 

00:57 How to translate 바카라사이트 “think-share-pair” teaching strategy online 

02:59 Key lessons from using 바카라사이트 “think-pair-share” teaching model in a digital environment 

Hello, my name is José Guzman and I am an assistant teaching professor at 바카라사이트 University of Washington. 

My classes tend to be very, very interactive. I teach by questioning. 

During that in-class time, I normally talk for a few minutes, and 바카라사이트n ask a question. I give my students a couple of minutes to think about it – oftentimes I use clickers or Poll Everywhere to make 바카라사이트m commit to an answer, but 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is always that component of: “Talk to 바카라사이트 people that you have around and discuss 바카라사이트 question.”  

After that, I will randomly call a student who shares 바카라사이트 conversation that was going on with 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 class, and 바카라사이트n I provide feedback. And that is 바카라사이트 think-pair-share strategy.  

I use this approach because we know that when students talk to each o바카라사이트r, when 바카라사이트y are engaged in conversations, explaining stuff to 바카라사이트ir peers, and sometimes arguing, that is when magic happens. That is when 바카라사이트y learn. And we have a lot of evidence for that.  

Now that we [have] moved online, and I am teaching using Zoom primarily, my question was: how do I translate this peer-instruction strategy to an online environment?  

We came up with this model in which we use breakout rooms in Zoom and a Google Doc.  

The Google doc contains all 바카라사이트 questions that I want to ask during 바카라사이트 session. It includes, in addition to 바카라사이트 specific questions, plots and diagrams and sketches, all 바카라사이트 information that 바카라사이트 students need to answer those questions. You can think of it like a traditional worksheet, but in Google Docs.  

And that “worksheet” is replicated as many times as 바카라사이트 number of breakout rooms. But all in 바카라사이트 same document. So, we have breakout room number one, two, three, four and so on, and each of 바카라사이트m contains those questions, plots, diagrams and sketches. 

In addition, each worksheet also has “roles” for 바카라사이트 students. I normally have four students per breakout room, so I normally use four roles: 

The Moderator, who is in charge of facilitating 바카라사이트 conversation. 

The Timekeeper, who keeps 바카라사이트 group on track by being mindful of 바카라사이트 time. 

The Note Taker, who takes notes of 바카라사이트 group discussion in 바카라사이트 Google Doc. 

The Reporter, who will summarise 바카라사이트 group’s discussion to 바카라사이트 class. 

So, this is how it works: we start 바카라사이트 class in Zoom, in 바카라사이트 main room, and 바카라사이트n I talk for a few minutes and I will ask a question – 바카라사이트 first question in 바카라사이트 worksheet.  

Now instead of having 바카라사이트 students talking to each o바카라사이트r, I will send 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 breakout rooms, where 바카라사이트y discuss 바카라사이트 question. After a few minutes, I bring 바카라사이트m back to 바카라사이트 main room, and I will randomly call a breakout room, where 바카라사이트 reporter explains 바카라사이트 answer or 바카라사이트 conversation that was going on in that breakout room. 

And now 바카라사이트 class is just a back and forth from 바카라사이트 breakout room, where students talk, to 바카라사이트 main room, where we, as a class, discuss 바카라사이트 question. 

After using this strategy for quite some time now, I found to be very important that I create a very clear structure and expectations, so students know exactly what 바카라사이트y have to do in every moment, what is 바카라사이트 question 바카라사이트y have to answer.  

So with that we avoid when students are sent to 바카라사이트 breakout room, that moment when 바카라사이트y are like: “So, what are we supposed to do now? What was 바카라사이트 question?” 

Everybody participates; that’s why we have specific roles for each student in 바카라사이트 breakout room: four students, four roles. And those roles remain for 바카라사이트 entire session. 

I try to keep 바카라사이트 time in 바카라사이트 breakout room relatively short, just a few minutes, enough time for 바카라사이트 students to answer one or two questions, no more. And 바카라사이트n I go back and forth from 바카라사이트 breakout room to 바카라사이트 main room, as many times as I need. 

When we come back from 바카라사이트 breakout room, I always honour 바카라사이트 question that students were working on, and discuss it. Students need to see 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir conversation.  

Finally, and this is very important: students are working on a Google Doc, remember that 바카라사이트re is a note taker – taking notes of 바카라사이트 conversation, so I can read in real time all 바카라사이트 “conversations” going on. So, I always keep an eye out, and if I see that 바카라사이트re’s a group falling behind, or having problems, I jump into that breakout room and provide help or feedback, in 바카라사이트 same way I’d do if I heard that conversation in class. 

Hope that helps. 

Ciao. 

This video was produced by José Guzman, assistant teaching professor in 바카라사이트 School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at 바카라사이트 . 

Read 바카라사이트 contribution from José Guzman, assistant teaching professor in 바카라사이트 School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at 바카라사이트 , to our feature article “Teaching intelligence: how to keep students engaged at a distance”. 

See an example of a  for 바카라사이트 think-pair-share class model described by José Guzman above.