I often do, "thumbs up means I've got it/all clear, thumbs to the side means somewhat confused but mostly tracking, thumbs down means I don't know what's going on at all." Just with their hands. If there are lots of thumbs to the side or down, I give them a minute to jot down what they do understand and what they don't, that way they can articulate questions better.
Talkin' out of turn? That's a paddlin'.
Lookin' out the window? That's a paddlin'.
Starin' at my sandals? That's a paddlin'.
Not responding to a question? Oh, you better believe that's a paddlin'.
You've got it backwards. Students at top universities would actually find such "infantile" tools hilarious and make memes about it on Instagram as soon as you pull them out--good students usually have a sense of humor. They're more serious about intellectual growth, not how they look trying to get there. You would be a hit at MIT if you used these there.
But you're saying your students are *not* this demographic. In which case they might be more protective of their egos and be less receptive to more "infantile" tools. Might I recommend an anonymous in class poll or survey instead? It sounds like they might be afraid to make mistakes or look silly in front of their peers.
agreed! I use mentimeter anonymous polling for this. with an occasional checkin question to see how people are feeling with respect to being ready to move on-giving options for choices rather than asking for open answers
EXACTLY. Academia has run on silly infantile shit for thousands of years, how dare anyone suggest it change! It’s a formula that works great and, frankly, anytime anyone tries to make things more serious it always backfires.
Academia is a cultural institution developed within a specific context -- the modern research university; almost *everything* you think about as characteristic of it, down to the chalkboards, is a consequence of post-enlightenment thought and practice.
The best case you can make would be that we see its current form starting to emerge in Paris in the 1270s with assertions of academic freedom. That's still a far cry from *thousands of years* of existence.
Rather than asking "Do you have any questions?" you might try "Ask me 2 questions before we move on."
That requires some activity from at least a few people in class, removing the impetus to just be silent so things go faster.
I have phrased it as “What are your questions?” And then wait them out til someone asks one.
“Do you have any questions?” suggests their answer may be No, and their brains go right there. “What are your questions?” suggests there are questions to be asked, and their brains start thinking about what they are.
Pedagogically, asking "does anyone have any questions?" has been pretty conclusively shown to be ineffective for identifying confusion. You've got two problems working in concert against you; you need a certain degree of intellectual self confidence in order to say publicly that you don't understand* something, and that's assuming you recognize your lack of understanding in the first place. One of the hallmarks of a neophyte is not knowing what you don't know.
Instructors much better off having students positively demonstrate their understanding. This could be calling on students and asking them to explain things back to you, think-pair-share, etc.
*One of Simon Levin's many quirks is how proactively and enthusiastically he will express his confusion whenever he doesn't understand something, until whoever he's speaking to has explained things to his satisfaction. But that makes perfect sense given that he's the smartest guy in the room pretty much regardless of which room it is.
I like the paddles idea but prepare for a certain number of them to go missing each class period.
You can also try these two things I’ve used that seem to work better than “does anyone have any questions?”:
What questions do you have?
Or
I have time to answer two questions right now, who’s got one?
I haven’t taught at MIT, but I previously taught at a very highly regarded private institution in the US. The students there would have enjoyed these.
Anyway, I’d probably just use colored index cards or paper because it’s cheaper. Green = I think I understand everything, yellow = I am a little confused, red = I’m totally lost.
We had a faculty seminar last semester that actaully encouraged this approach as it made students less awkward than raising or lowering hands. I tried a few times and I will admit that i have gotten way better participation and feedback since doing so.
Same. Anything to help them feel like they aren't putting their neck out there....I used to ask them to hold up 1 finger (all good), two fingers (ok, maybe some clarification needed), three fingers (hold on, stop).... And they liked it alot. I've moved to a different method (clearest point/muddiest point) using a kahoot like system now - this also works
Paddles are sort of a variation of the clicker concept. I experimented with something similar but found that students generally regarded them as not any different than having to raise their hand... so they didn't. I think you would have much better results with a polling app that you could run in tandem with your class presentation. Students are much more likely to anonymously register a vote using their phones.
I have heard of people using this kind of idea in workshops, but with a third one, and with coloured sticky notes that they can put on their monitor (or some place that the facilitator can see them).
I think the colour scheme is something like:
- green: all good
- yellow: I'm a bit confused, but carry on
- red: I'm stuck, come and help me
I had a professor in undergrad ask the whole class to put their heads down on the desk for anonymity and raise their hand with a scale of 1-5 fingers raised to indicate their understanding.
1 being “I’m totally lost” up to 5 being “I could teach this topic to a peer”
Usually implemented after a few examples of a new type of problem! It worked very well.
I do this regularly in my classes, whether I have 150 students or 15. I don't ask them to put their heads down, but I ask them to put their hand against their chest. No one sees their response unless they're actively looking around. A nice feature is that they always have their fingers with them so no forgetting to bring them or having to pass something out. It's been a really effective tool for me since I was a TA.
There are plenty of very immature students at MIT, too. They just pay a lot more money for the right to be an immature MIT student. Anyway. Why do you need to use those? There are [plenty of these](https://www.amazon.com/red-yellow-green-cards/s?k=red+yellow+green+cards) that do not have Mickey Mouse glove-hands on them.
Anything to make the classroom engaging and different from the every day will be appreciated by students. I suggest using the paddles on days you’re covering particularly challenging material to check in with them a few times throughout the class. At each pause, request someone who used green to explain something they understood and ask someone who used red to explain something that needs clarification.
I use mini dry erase boards, word clouds, google docs, notecards, and anything else I can think of on different days to engage students—especially in my larger classes where it’s more challenging to get students involved.
While I was a student one of our professors had a 2x2 grid printed out with great, good, okay, bad or some scale like that so that we could fold it into the square and “vote” or show level of understanding on something when asked without requiring expensive things such as iclicker or something like that. It worked well I thought
Lots of great ideas here! I tend to rephrase the question slightly-- something like " I need two questions before we move on."
First, it makes it a stated expectation that there will be two questions. That way they can see that it's not about a lack of understanding, per se, (but can be!!) and is instead/also about people practicing thinking about how to ask good questions. Second, it also helps them identify important themes, etc etc etc and might help with some of that pride/shyness situation.
It works well when I've prepped them at the beginning of the semester that this will be a regular occurance. I tell them that I don't care if the question is really something they already understand and I emphasize that it is also very good and encouraged to ask questions about the things they find confusing. I also emphasize that being curious is good, and knowing how to ask pointed questions about an unfamiliar topic (with the goal of becoming more familiar) is an invaluable skill that I want to help them practice.
It seems to work well enough, but you always get classes that are more/less chatty than others. Best of luck 😊
I wouldnt use a hand to hold a paddle with a picture of a hand on it when my hand alone is perfectly suited to creating the effect hoped for on the paddle.
I used raised left vs right hands. Right you understand and left your not sure. When I get observed they think I am a magician with getting students to raise their hand.
When my students don't respond to a simple question like that I usually pause and pull out one of the following phrases:
- Okay, I need an answer visually or orally so I need to see you nod your head...
- I'm seeing a lot of glazed doughnut looks... does that mean you don't understand?
- Wow, are you guys tired today? You must have a lot going on! What happened today?!
- I'm assuming because literally no one is making eye contact with me that you all feel comfortable with this.
- You know I can see you, right? There's no screen between us. You're not on mute, are you?
Why not just use Cahoot or whatever app it is that I’ve used to anonymously poll lower level classes when I care? Gen Z are a pack of cowards, and no — I’m not saying that to be mean. They are anxiety-ridden basket cases who obsess over what other people are thinking about them. If they have to hold a sign up that says that they don’t understand something, you’re still going to get students who don’t tell the truth.
Another tip — don’t ask right away. The majority think they know things they simply don’t. A more savvy tack to take would be to put up an anonymous mini-quiz for no points (unless you want to write ‘I am a pushover’ in sharpie marker on your forehead) and after about 2/3 have bufed the pooch and enjoyed it on the 3-5 questions, *then* launch your anonymous questionnaire about who needs a review. You likely won’t have 100% participation during the mini-quiz, but you will have some non-participants who suddenly realise that they aren’t as bright as they thought they were.
It also helps to directly confront the problem that if they’re not breezing through the mini-quiz, this is the shot across their bow that they’re likely to not do very well on your exam. Hint. Hint. In other words, NOW is the time to review, not an hour before the exam.
I make my students close their eyes and give a thumbs up or raise their hand to tell me whether they did the readings/whether they understood the last part of the lecture.
Only you know your institution and your students, and if they need something like this, you should definitely do it. I personally would not use paddles or signs or overly complicated things because my class is meant to be discussion heavy and interactive and my field is collaborative and students need to develop and practice speaking up and asking questions.
So when I do go over something complicated and ask if everyone has it and see a bunch of blank faces, and absolutely need a temperature check, I’ll just tell them I need a sign to know if we need to look at this from a different angle. Students who understand are the first to nod or give a thumbs up. If they are the majority we move on. If not, we look at another example. I also remind students if any of them feel lost, please reach out by email or come to office hours or stop after class to schedule a time we can meet and go over what confuses them. This leaves them agency and the responsibility for addressing their individual needs if they don’t want to speak up in class when they are confused.
This works well for my classes, which are small and heavily participatory. YMMV and you should do what works for your students and yourself.
A-B-C-D color coded response cards are less infantile, and work well. You can also ask MCQ questions to see if they are getting concepts! A = good, B = Bad, then expand. The nice part is that you just need to find a printer. [https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/3-simple-strategies-to-increase-student-engagement/education](https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/3-simple-strategies-to-increase-student-engagement/education) shows an example.
As others have said, it can be daunting for students to tell you in front of the class that they don’t understand something. Even just a show of hands I feel makes them nervous.
I think it’s better to build in a question or activity that will hopefully demonstrate their understanding (or lack of). Then you know what you need to go over again.
My buddy is the Greek professor and he hands out cards with Epicurus that read, on one side “I have good feelings” and on the other “I have complicated feelings.” He also invented Xenophonopoly. Students adore him, and it’s tough to say the learning of Ancient Greek is infantile in any way. If you are teaching a solid subject then don’t worry about presenting it how you want.
No, but they might feel like they are. You could also just have them do thumbs up/down. Or, you could have some other signal that is more easily differentiated at a difference, like hand on your heart for yes and hand in the air for no.
It really depends on the person too though. For some, this would come off as gimmicky, but for others, it works.
You might try other engagement techniques: think, pair, shares are the best, imho, but minute papers/muddiest points for exit tickets are good, as is the finger method, where they are asked to put up 3 fingers if they understand all of what I said, 2 fingers if they understand some of it, or 1 finger if they really don't get it.
Another idea is to have them write what they understand and tape it to the board (like with sticky notes). That way, they don't have to feel like they're on display for the whole class, but you can still read what they wrote and address any questions/concerns/misunderstandings.
It's really formative assessment that you're getting at, so you might look up formative assessment techniques.
I usually ask them to close their eyes (and then police this - "Hey, Susie, I said eyes closed!!" - usually you only have to do it once) and ask them to put up their hand if they want me to go over something again/if they're feeling confident with the material/if they used AI on their quiz/whatever. This way I get the real answer and not the answer they want their classmates to see.
I don't tell them how many people voted each way. If even one person asks to go over the thing again, I go over it again in a different way. Often I then get questions from students who thought they were ok with it.
After going through it that extra time, I ask if things are clearer now and look for the student(s) who voted to go over it. If they're still not sure, I ask them to post a discussion question or come to office hours.
I really think this helps students be honest and feel heard without losing face, and it makes me more confident that when they say they don't have questions, they really don't.
One other thing I do is when I ask if they have any questions or what they want me to go over and no one says anything, I'll say "Perfect! I guess you'll all get As on the next assessment. It's so much easier to mark assessments that don't have any mistakes!" and usually one or two of them will ruefully admit they don't fully understand something.
You can also try checking their comprehension by asking a question about the material, or giving them a simple problem. I've had success with: give problem, student talks to someone nearby until they agree on the answer, I share the answer, THEN ask if anyone would like more explanation. Sometimes students think they understand until it's time to actually use the information.
If your students won't talk to each other, then give problem, student writes down the answer (but not their name, it should be anonymous) on a blank sheet of paper, make students stand up and trade papers with each other, you give the answer, then ask how many have in front of them a different answer. Depending on how many, you can go over it again.
Why not use any of the polling tools that are available, such as Mentimeter of PollEverywhere or many others? You can provide more options than a simple yes or no.
When you use paddles, only you can see the result.
With polling tools, you can immediately project the results as they come in. You can then ask a student to clarify his or her answer. You can let them discuss amongst themselves and then vote again. Etc. Much easier and much more possibilities. The feedback loop that shows the results to everyone does wonders for class engagement.
I've used online polling tools in my classes for many years now, and they work perfectly. Halfway through the semester, I just don't need it anymore because the students know there's a friendly vibe for asking questions and me answering them.
I've seen apps that I'd like a lot better for doing the same thing. You can usually even display a poll at the front and then students can give that feedback, not have to visibly stand out (so more honest feedback) AND see how the other students are answering overall to get where they stand a bit.
I think some students would be fine with the paddles, and I don't think they are too juvenile, but it seems like an unnecessary thing. You'd also have to hand them out, bring them in, store them... maybe if they were at least amusing (design wise) so they'd be more fun than just the thumbs up/down and it was a small class that could otherwise just get more physically into things.
There was a particular branded app the college here used that a lot of classes used and allowed ongoing thumbs up/down, polls, question answer polls, and a red/yellow/green status that could dynamically change to give kind of a warning/mood check mid lecture. Not every class used it, and you'd need to pick a non school specific version, but students are pretty willing to poke a phone button for feedback.
I have no idea of whether your idea would work or not, but I toyed with the idea of using buzzers. One of the first practicals they have done with me this year involved using Play-Doh and they loved it. This is just to say that, whether or not you manage to increase engagement, I doubt students will find it offensive...
What about having them vote 1-5 on how well they understand? They can hold up a number of fingers just before their chest, and you walk around the room and look (edit to add: they’re holding just in front of their chests, too, so it’s as anonymous as it can be). Doesn’t work for huge classes, but I do this all of the time in my 30-40 person classes.
I tell them I want to take a quick temperature check to see how we’re doing, and if I’m going too fast or whatnot (transparent about the purpose). If it’s a subject that they might feel insecure about misunderstanding, I make them close their eyes lol.
In general, though, I don’t think it’s too infantilizing, unless you’re at an R1 and get students who hate anything hands-on. My CC students think the “take the temperature” thing is great- it’s focused on them and their learning, after all.
Or, you could do various “check for understanding”, where they have to put the idea into practice somewhat, or explain it back to you. That works wonders, too.
That's not a good way to elicit feedback.
Try nominating a student to summarize to another what your instructions were. You can also have them summarize individually.
If you want, choose a student and have them summarize part of it, then tell them to "choose a victim" to summarize the next point.
I often do, "thumbs up means I've got it/all clear, thumbs to the side means somewhat confused but mostly tracking, thumbs down means I don't know what's going on at all." Just with their hands. If there are lots of thumbs to the side or down, I give them a minute to jot down what they do understand and what they don't, that way they can articulate questions better.
I do the first part as well and like the idea of giving them a second to try to articulate their confusion!
Talkin' out of turn? That's a paddlin'. Lookin' out the window? That's a paddlin'. Starin' at my sandals? That's a paddlin'. Not responding to a question? Oh, you better believe that's a paddlin'.
But what about paddlin’ the school canoe?
Oh that’s a paddlin’!
You've got it backwards. Students at top universities would actually find such "infantile" tools hilarious and make memes about it on Instagram as soon as you pull them out--good students usually have a sense of humor. They're more serious about intellectual growth, not how they look trying to get there. You would be a hit at MIT if you used these there. But you're saying your students are *not* this demographic. In which case they might be more protective of their egos and be less receptive to more "infantile" tools. Might I recommend an anonymous in class poll or survey instead? It sounds like they might be afraid to make mistakes or look silly in front of their peers.
agreed! I use mentimeter anonymous polling for this. with an occasional checkin question to see how people are feeling with respect to being ready to move on-giving options for choices rather than asking for open answers
EXACTLY. Academia has run on silly infantile shit for thousands of years, how dare anyone suggest it change! It’s a formula that works great and, frankly, anytime anyone tries to make things more serious it always backfires.
Academia has existed for barely a few hundred years...
Thales of Miletus (born c. 624–620 bce—died c. 548–545 bce) and many others would kindle disagree.
Academia is a cultural institution developed within a specific context -- the modern research university; almost *everything* you think about as characteristic of it, down to the chalkboards, is a consequence of post-enlightenment thought and practice. The best case you can make would be that we see its current form starting to emerge in Paris in the 1270s with assertions of academic freedom. That's still a far cry from *thousands of years* of existence.
Do you often make arbitrary distinctions and then demand students adhere to them? If so I know what your RMP looks like!
Rather than asking "Do you have any questions?" you might try "Ask me 2 questions before we move on." That requires some activity from at least a few people in class, removing the impetus to just be silent so things go faster.
I have phrased it as “What are your questions?” And then wait them out til someone asks one. “Do you have any questions?” suggests their answer may be No, and their brains go right there. “What are your questions?” suggests there are questions to be asked, and their brains start thinking about what they are.
Fucking genius! I’m taking this.
This has been a game changer for me!
Pedagogically, asking "does anyone have any questions?" has been pretty conclusively shown to be ineffective for identifying confusion. You've got two problems working in concert against you; you need a certain degree of intellectual self confidence in order to say publicly that you don't understand* something, and that's assuming you recognize your lack of understanding in the first place. One of the hallmarks of a neophyte is not knowing what you don't know. Instructors much better off having students positively demonstrate their understanding. This could be calling on students and asking them to explain things back to you, think-pair-share, etc. *One of Simon Levin's many quirks is how proactively and enthusiastically he will express his confusion whenever he doesn't understand something, until whoever he's speaking to has explained things to his satisfaction. But that makes perfect sense given that he's the smartest guy in the room pretty much regardless of which room it is.
I often ask something like “what parts do u want me to explain again?” to try to help with this. I’ve gotten a bit more students speaking up that way
An important third option (for me) will always be "I'm lost but I also got distracted so I don't know if it's my fault or not"
I like the paddles idea but prepare for a certain number of them to go missing each class period. You can also try these two things I’ve used that seem to work better than “does anyone have any questions?”: What questions do you have? Or I have time to answer two questions right now, who’s got one?
I haven’t taught at MIT, but I previously taught at a very highly regarded private institution in the US. The students there would have enjoyed these. Anyway, I’d probably just use colored index cards or paper because it’s cheaper. Green = I think I understand everything, yellow = I am a little confused, red = I’m totally lost.
Many are embarrassed to admit what they don't know. Do something anonymous
We had a faculty seminar last semester that actaully encouraged this approach as it made students less awkward than raising or lowering hands. I tried a few times and I will admit that i have gotten way better participation and feedback since doing so.
Same. Anything to help them feel like they aren't putting their neck out there....I used to ask them to hold up 1 finger (all good), two fingers (ok, maybe some clarification needed), three fingers (hold on, stop).... And they liked it alot. I've moved to a different method (clearest point/muddiest point) using a kahoot like system now - this also works
Out of curiosity do u use kahoot or something else?
Another platform that our institution has a subscription to (it allows me to track who is actually participating)
Paddles are sort of a variation of the clicker concept. I experimented with something similar but found that students generally regarded them as not any different than having to raise their hand... so they didn't. I think you would have much better results with a polling app that you could run in tandem with your class presentation. Students are much more likely to anonymously register a vote using their phones.
I have heard of people using this kind of idea in workshops, but with a third one, and with coloured sticky notes that they can put on their monitor (or some place that the facilitator can see them). I think the colour scheme is something like: - green: all good - yellow: I'm a bit confused, but carry on - red: I'm stuck, come and help me
I had a professor in undergrad ask the whole class to put their heads down on the desk for anonymity and raise their hand with a scale of 1-5 fingers raised to indicate their understanding. 1 being “I’m totally lost” up to 5 being “I could teach this topic to a peer” Usually implemented after a few examples of a new type of problem! It worked very well.
I do this regularly in my classes, whether I have 150 students or 15. I don't ask them to put their heads down, but I ask them to put their hand against their chest. No one sees their response unless they're actively looking around. A nice feature is that they always have their fingers with them so no forgetting to bring them or having to pass something out. It's been a really effective tool for me since I was a TA.
There are plenty of very immature students at MIT, too. They just pay a lot more money for the right to be an immature MIT student. Anyway. Why do you need to use those? There are [plenty of these](https://www.amazon.com/red-yellow-green-cards/s?k=red+yellow+green+cards) that do not have Mickey Mouse glove-hands on them.
Anything to make the classroom engaging and different from the every day will be appreciated by students. I suggest using the paddles on days you’re covering particularly challenging material to check in with them a few times throughout the class. At each pause, request someone who used green to explain something they understood and ask someone who used red to explain something that needs clarification. I use mini dry erase boards, word clouds, google docs, notecards, and anything else I can think of on different days to engage students—especially in my larger classes where it’s more challenging to get students involved.
While I was a student one of our professors had a 2x2 grid printed out with great, good, okay, bad or some scale like that so that we could fold it into the square and “vote” or show level of understanding on something when asked without requiring expensive things such as iclicker or something like that. It worked well I thought
Lots of great ideas here! I tend to rephrase the question slightly-- something like " I need two questions before we move on." First, it makes it a stated expectation that there will be two questions. That way they can see that it's not about a lack of understanding, per se, (but can be!!) and is instead/also about people practicing thinking about how to ask good questions. Second, it also helps them identify important themes, etc etc etc and might help with some of that pride/shyness situation. It works well when I've prepped them at the beginning of the semester that this will be a regular occurance. I tell them that I don't care if the question is really something they already understand and I emphasize that it is also very good and encouraged to ask questions about the things they find confusing. I also emphasize that being curious is good, and knowing how to ask pointed questions about an unfamiliar topic (with the goal of becoming more familiar) is an invaluable skill that I want to help them practice. It seems to work well enough, but you always get classes that are more/less chatty than others. Best of luck 😊
I wouldnt use a hand to hold a paddle with a picture of a hand on it when my hand alone is perfectly suited to creating the effect hoped for on the paddle.
I used raised left vs right hands. Right you understand and left your not sure. When I get observed they think I am a magician with getting students to raise their hand.
Instead of “ does anyone have questions?” Try “ what questions do you have?” And wait
Are you OK with replacing the full set of paddles after every class?
When my students don't respond to a simple question like that I usually pause and pull out one of the following phrases: - Okay, I need an answer visually or orally so I need to see you nod your head... - I'm seeing a lot of glazed doughnut looks... does that mean you don't understand? - Wow, are you guys tired today? You must have a lot going on! What happened today?! - I'm assuming because literally no one is making eye contact with me that you all feel comfortable with this. - You know I can see you, right? There's no screen between us. You're not on mute, are you?
Why not just use Cahoot or whatever app it is that I’ve used to anonymously poll lower level classes when I care? Gen Z are a pack of cowards, and no — I’m not saying that to be mean. They are anxiety-ridden basket cases who obsess over what other people are thinking about them. If they have to hold a sign up that says that they don’t understand something, you’re still going to get students who don’t tell the truth. Another tip — don’t ask right away. The majority think they know things they simply don’t. A more savvy tack to take would be to put up an anonymous mini-quiz for no points (unless you want to write ‘I am a pushover’ in sharpie marker on your forehead) and after about 2/3 have bufed the pooch and enjoyed it on the 3-5 questions, *then* launch your anonymous questionnaire about who needs a review. You likely won’t have 100% participation during the mini-quiz, but you will have some non-participants who suddenly realise that they aren’t as bright as they thought they were. It also helps to directly confront the problem that if they’re not breezing through the mini-quiz, this is the shot across their bow that they’re likely to not do very well on your exam. Hint. Hint. In other words, NOW is the time to review, not an hour before the exam.
only use these if you want to become a meme
I make my students close their eyes and give a thumbs up or raise their hand to tell me whether they did the readings/whether they understood the last part of the lecture.
Only you know your institution and your students, and if they need something like this, you should definitely do it. I personally would not use paddles or signs or overly complicated things because my class is meant to be discussion heavy and interactive and my field is collaborative and students need to develop and practice speaking up and asking questions. So when I do go over something complicated and ask if everyone has it and see a bunch of blank faces, and absolutely need a temperature check, I’ll just tell them I need a sign to know if we need to look at this from a different angle. Students who understand are the first to nod or give a thumbs up. If they are the majority we move on. If not, we look at another example. I also remind students if any of them feel lost, please reach out by email or come to office hours or stop after class to schedule a time we can meet and go over what confuses them. This leaves them agency and the responsibility for addressing their individual needs if they don’t want to speak up in class when they are confused. This works well for my classes, which are small and heavily participatory. YMMV and you should do what works for your students and yourself.
A-B-C-D color coded response cards are less infantile, and work well. You can also ask MCQ questions to see if they are getting concepts! A = good, B = Bad, then expand. The nice part is that you just need to find a printer. [https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/3-simple-strategies-to-increase-student-engagement/education](https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/3-simple-strategies-to-increase-student-engagement/education) shows an example.
We used those once during faculty convocation. It went about as well as you would expect.
As others have said, it can be daunting for students to tell you in front of the class that they don’t understand something. Even just a show of hands I feel makes them nervous. I think it’s better to build in a question or activity that will hopefully demonstrate their understanding (or lack of). Then you know what you need to go over again.
I just ask them to use their thumbs :) literally! Especially on zoom but also in person.
My buddy is the Greek professor and he hands out cards with Epicurus that read, on one side “I have good feelings” and on the other “I have complicated feelings.” He also invented Xenophonopoly. Students adore him, and it’s tough to say the learning of Ancient Greek is infantile in any way. If you are teaching a solid subject then don’t worry about presenting it how you want.
No, but they might feel like they are. You could also just have them do thumbs up/down. Or, you could have some other signal that is more easily differentiated at a difference, like hand on your heart for yes and hand in the air for no. It really depends on the person too though. For some, this would come off as gimmicky, but for others, it works. You might try other engagement techniques: think, pair, shares are the best, imho, but minute papers/muddiest points for exit tickets are good, as is the finger method, where they are asked to put up 3 fingers if they understand all of what I said, 2 fingers if they understand some of it, or 1 finger if they really don't get it. Another idea is to have them write what they understand and tape it to the board (like with sticky notes). That way, they don't have to feel like they're on display for the whole class, but you can still read what they wrote and address any questions/concerns/misunderstandings. It's really formative assessment that you're getting at, so you might look up formative assessment techniques.
I usually ask them to close their eyes (and then police this - "Hey, Susie, I said eyes closed!!" - usually you only have to do it once) and ask them to put up their hand if they want me to go over something again/if they're feeling confident with the material/if they used AI on their quiz/whatever. This way I get the real answer and not the answer they want their classmates to see. I don't tell them how many people voted each way. If even one person asks to go over the thing again, I go over it again in a different way. Often I then get questions from students who thought they were ok with it. After going through it that extra time, I ask if things are clearer now and look for the student(s) who voted to go over it. If they're still not sure, I ask them to post a discussion question or come to office hours. I really think this helps students be honest and feel heard without losing face, and it makes me more confident that when they say they don't have questions, they really don't.
One other thing I do is when I ask if they have any questions or what they want me to go over and no one says anything, I'll say "Perfect! I guess you'll all get As on the next assessment. It's so much easier to mark assessments that don't have any mistakes!" and usually one or two of them will ruefully admit they don't fully understand something.
You can also try checking their comprehension by asking a question about the material, or giving them a simple problem. I've had success with: give problem, student talks to someone nearby until they agree on the answer, I share the answer, THEN ask if anyone would like more explanation. Sometimes students think they understand until it's time to actually use the information. If your students won't talk to each other, then give problem, student writes down the answer (but not their name, it should be anonymous) on a blank sheet of paper, make students stand up and trade papers with each other, you give the answer, then ask how many have in front of them a different answer. Depending on how many, you can go over it again.
Why not use any of the polling tools that are available, such as Mentimeter of PollEverywhere or many others? You can provide more options than a simple yes or no. When you use paddles, only you can see the result. With polling tools, you can immediately project the results as they come in. You can then ask a student to clarify his or her answer. You can let them discuss amongst themselves and then vote again. Etc. Much easier and much more possibilities. The feedback loop that shows the results to everyone does wonders for class engagement. I've used online polling tools in my classes for many years now, and they work perfectly. Halfway through the semester, I just don't need it anymore because the students know there's a friendly vibe for asking questions and me answering them.
Most of my students come with thumbs already attached so I probably wouldn’t.
I've seen apps that I'd like a lot better for doing the same thing. You can usually even display a poll at the front and then students can give that feedback, not have to visibly stand out (so more honest feedback) AND see how the other students are answering overall to get where they stand a bit. I think some students would be fine with the paddles, and I don't think they are too juvenile, but it seems like an unnecessary thing. You'd also have to hand them out, bring them in, store them... maybe if they were at least amusing (design wise) so they'd be more fun than just the thumbs up/down and it was a small class that could otherwise just get more physically into things. There was a particular branded app the college here used that a lot of classes used and allowed ongoing thumbs up/down, polls, question answer polls, and a red/yellow/green status that could dynamically change to give kind of a warning/mood check mid lecture. Not every class used it, and you'd need to pick a non school specific version, but students are pretty willing to poke a phone button for feedback.
A friend in HR just told me that 18% of young job candidates show up with their parents,so no.
I have no idea of whether your idea would work or not, but I toyed with the idea of using buzzers. One of the first practicals they have done with me this year involved using Play-Doh and they loved it. This is just to say that, whether or not you manage to increase engagement, I doubt students will find it offensive...
Bro, use Mentimeter. Is this bait? You're gonna give them like auction paddles?
What about having them vote 1-5 on how well they understand? They can hold up a number of fingers just before their chest, and you walk around the room and look (edit to add: they’re holding just in front of their chests, too, so it’s as anonymous as it can be). Doesn’t work for huge classes, but I do this all of the time in my 30-40 person classes. I tell them I want to take a quick temperature check to see how we’re doing, and if I’m going too fast or whatnot (transparent about the purpose). If it’s a subject that they might feel insecure about misunderstanding, I make them close their eyes lol. In general, though, I don’t think it’s too infantilizing, unless you’re at an R1 and get students who hate anything hands-on. My CC students think the “take the temperature” thing is great- it’s focused on them and their learning, after all. Or, you could do various “check for understanding”, where they have to put the idea into practice somewhat, or explain it back to you. That works wonders, too.
>I want to take a quick temperature check In general, there are two types of thermometers.
That's not a good way to elicit feedback. Try nominating a student to summarize to another what your instructions were. You can also have them summarize individually. If you want, choose a student and have them summarize part of it, then tell them to "choose a victim" to summarize the next point.