Beach Ball

TL;DR

The beach ball strategy is a fun and inclusive technique to encourage student participation and discussion in the classroom.

Transcript

JANET RANKIN: The beach ball strategy is a way to get students who might not want to answer questions or be a little less outgoing in their answering of questions to answer questions. So there's a few different ways to use the beach ball, actually. And one is you just pose a question that has enough variation in the types of responses. So you would... Read More

Key Insights

• 💨 The beach ball strategy is a creative way to engage students who may be hesitant to participate in class discussions.
• 💭 Using varied questions that foster critical thinking is essential for the success of the beach ball strategy.
• 🥶 The strategy allows instructors to involve students actively without resorting to cold-calling.
• 💬 The beach ball strategy can be adapted for different subject areas by incorporating picture prompts or graphs to generate responses.
• 💬 Even advanced students and professionals, such as postdocs, respond positively to the beach ball strategy.
• 💬 Instructors can choose to write questions directly on the beach ball, adding a visual element to the technique.
• 💬 The beach ball strategy creates an enjoyable and interactive classroom atmosphere, reducing student anxiety about answering questions.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does the beach ball strategy encourage student participation?

The beach ball strategy encourages student participation by providing a fun and inclusive way to answer questions. By throwing the ball, students can take turns sharing their responses without feeling singled out by the instructor.

Q: Can the beach ball strategy be used with advanced students?

Yes, the beach ball strategy can be used with students of all levels, including graduate students. Its effectiveness lies in the nature of the questions asked, rather than the age or level of the students.

Q: How does the beach ball strategy promote discussion among students?

The beach ball strategy promotes discussion by allowing students to respond to each other's answers. After catching the ball, the student who answered passes it to another student, giving them the opportunity to contribute their thoughts and expand on the topic.

Q: Can the beach ball strategy be customized with written questions on the ball?

Yes, instructors can write questions on the beach ball itself. This variation adds an element of surprise as students answer the question that appears in front of them when catching the ball.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The beach ball strategy involves posing questions with varied responses and throwing a ball to select a student who then answers the question.

• It can be used with picture prompts or graphs to encourage students to observe and discuss.

• The strategy helps instructors avoid cold-calling and makes class participation enjoyable for students.