About ITC
Gaining Student Attention
by: Julie Little“When I introduce new concepts, students
react with uninterest. How can I evoke their interest and gain
their attention?”
Students enter our classrooms carrying baggage that doesn’t fit in their
backpacks. When students come to class preoccupied with personal distractions
or lack experience and exposure to course content, they disengage from the learning
experience. Therefore, instructors must draw on a variety of techniques to “hook” student
interest then sustain their engagement throughout class.
David Ausubel (1960) called these hooks “advanced organizers.” Believing
that the most important thing students could bring to class was what they already
know, he proposed students would engage with learning material if they could
1) relate new information to what they already know, and 2) understand a need
for learning this information. Madeline Hunter (1982) called these hooks “set”—those
actions, activities, or experiences that pull students into the learning process
to engage their emotions and focus their minds.
Try This: When introducing new information, ask students to
brainstorm by drawing upon their existing knowledge. Here’s a simple example—characteristics
of the American hero. Ask students to list on notepaper their heroes (real or
fictional) and the characteristics of those heroes. Scan the room—is everyone
participating? Provide “hints” to those staring at a blank piece
of paper. After three or four minutes, select two or three students to read from
their notes. Provide feedback to those responding and ask for additional contributions
(not already provided). When more than the “few” who normally look
interested appear interested in the topic, it’s time to proceed with presenting
the new information and clarifying why this topic is important in the large context
of what is being studied.
References
Ausubel, D.P. (1960). The use of advance organizers in the learning and retention
of meaningful verbal material. Journal of Educational Psychology, 51, 267-272.
Hunter, M. (1982). Mastery learning. El Segundo, CA: TIP Publications.
Information Overload
Difficult Students
Remote Students
Students' Assuming Ownership of Their Own Learning
Large Class Size
Gaining Student Attention
Interactive and Engaging Online Content
Participation in Online Discussions
Varied Knowledge