Strategies

DRILL - REVIEW PAIRS: Assign students to pairs, and assign pairs to a foursome.
1. Person A reads the first problem and explains step by step the procedures and
strategies required to solve it. Person B checks the accuracy of the solution and
provides encouragement and coaching if needed.
2. Person B solves the second problem, describing step by step the procedures and
strategies required to solve it. Person A checks the accuracy of the solution and
provides encouragement and coaching if needed.
3. When two problems are completed, the pair checks their answers with the other pair
in their foursome. If they do not agree, they resolve the problem until they reach a
consensus about the answer. If they do agree, they thank each other and continue work
in their pairs.

The instructor can structure individual accountability by randomly picking one member
of randomly selected pairs to explain how to solve a randomly selected problem.

ROUNDTABLE: The teacher poses a question having multiple answers, or gives each
group a worksheet. The group has only one sheet of paper or worksheet, and perhaps
only one pencil. A student writes down one response, says it aloud, and then passes
the paper or worksheet to the person on the left. The process continues in this way as
students take turns writing and saying aloud different responses. A student may pass on
one round and answer next time.

Use for: review, simple application or practice tasks, creative brainstorming to generate
ideas.
HOMEWORK CHECK: Assign students to groups of three and either assign a role to
each student or have students decide on their roles in their groups of three. The three
roles are:
1. explainer - explains step by step how the homework is correctly completed,
2. checker - verifies that the explanation is accurate, encourages and coaches others if
needed,
3. runner - carries materials to and from the instructor’s desk.

Steps:

1. The runner picks up the group’s folder, hands out any materials in the folder, and
records how much of the assignment each member has completed.

2. The explainer reads the first part of the assignment and explains step by step how to
complete it accurately. The other group members check for accuracy.

3. The roles are rotated clockwise around the group as the group proceeds through the
assignment.

4. At the end, the members’ homework is placed in the group’s folder, and the runner
returns it to the instructor’s desk.

THINK-PAIR-SHARE: The teacher poses questions to the class. Students silently think
of a response for a given period of time (can jot down ideas), pair with partners to
discuss the question and reach consensus (if appropriate) , then teacher asks selected
students or pairs to share their responses with the class.
Use for: discussion of concepts, clarifying issues, problem solving, creative or critical
thinking, application or practice.
INTERMITTENT PAIR DISCUSSION

The instructor stops every 10 to 15 minutes during the lecture and gives students a
short discussion task that students can complete in 3 or 4 minutes. The discussion task
may require students to answer a question, react to the theory, concepts, or information
being presented or relate the material being presented to past learning. Students
formulate their answers, share their answers with their partners, listen carefully to their
partner’s answer, and together create a new answer that is superior to each one’s initial
answer. The instructor then randomly chooses two or three students to give 30 second
summaries of their discussion.
The purpose of this activity is to ensure that students are actively thinking about the
material.

JIGSAW and JIGSAW II

1. Task Division: A task or passage of text material is divided into several component
parts
(or topics).
2. Home Groups: Each group member is given a topic on which to become an expert.
3. Expert Groups: Students who have the same topics meet in expert groups to
discuss the
topics, master them, and plan how to teach them.
4. Home Groups: Students return to their original groups and teach what they have
learned to
their group members.
5. Quiz: The quiz is taken individually.
6. Team Recognition (an optional step): Individual quiz scores are formed into team
scores using an improvement score system; teams which meet criteria are publicly
recongnized in a class newsletter or other display.

When steps 5 and 6 are used, the method is know as Jigsaw II.
NUMBERED HEADS TOGETHER: (Structured Problem Solving): give each student in a
group a number from 1 to 4, pose a question, issue, or problem which students discuss
in their groups, call upon students by number to present some of their group’s ideas to
the class.

Use for: recall of information, creative thinking, tasks requiring problem solving and
reasoning.

PAIRS-CHECK: Students work in pairs within their teams using two roles: performer (or
solver) and coach. One person in the pair performs a task such as solving a problem,
the second person functions as coach by observing carefully, giving feedback and
giving positive
acknowledgement, partners switch roles for the second performance or problem, the 2
pairs
(in the group of 4) check their responses to the first 2 problems to see if they agree (can
give a team handshake or cheer if they do agree).

Use for: practice and mastery of skills or procedures.

ONE-MINUTE PAPERS

Description: One minute papers are short responses to specific questions. The “one” in
one-minute is not to be taken too literally, although the brevity suggested by that
reference is useful. Responses may be written individually after pairs of groups have
consulted or they may be cooperatively authored. For accountablility purposes,
responses may occasionally be written and submitted individually, without prior
discussion.

Providing each submitter with an index card often makes the evaluation job go more
smoothly and facilitates one of the variations proposed below.

Typical Uses:
At the beginning of class, to determine whether homework problems or readings
have
been understood.
At the end of class, to determine if the important points of the session have been
recognized
To obtain a quick snapshot which monitors current beliefs and understandings.
To learn where difficulties exist, from a student perspective.