Several times I’ve mentioned the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) strategy as one way to allow students time to process their thoughts and consolidate learning. This week I’d like to dive a little deeper into this strategy. The TPS is a very well-known strategy and one that is used extensively across the college, but some newer instructors might not have heard of it and some of the more experienced instructors may have forgotten just how powerful it can be and use it sparingly or ineffectively. The Think-Pair-Share teaching strategy is a very simple collaborative learning technique used to encourage active engagement and critical thinking. It consists of three distinct phases: Think, Pair, and Share. 1. Think: In this phase, students are given a specific question, prompt, or problem to consider individually. They are encouraged to reflect on the topic and generate their own thoughts or ideas without discussion with others. This step allows students to process information independently and develop their own understanding of the topic. Example: In a psychology class discussing theories of motivation, the instructor might ask students to think silently for a few minutes about what factors they believe motivate people to achieve their goals. What is important in this step is that students are given enough think time (Remember last week’s article?). Hurrying this phase will result in truncated thinking where students will simply take quick and superficial stabs at the problem and fail to unpack assumptions or discover complexities. 2. Pair: After the thinking phase, students are then paired up with a classmate to discuss their thoughts and ideas. This phase provides an opportunity for students to articulate their own understanding of the topic and to hear perspectives from their peers. By engaging in dialogue with a partner, students can clarify their own thoughts, gain new insights, and practice communication skills. Example: Continuing with the psychology class example, students might pair up and discuss their thoughts on motivation theories with a partner, comparing and contrasting different perspectives they came up with during the thinking phase. In this phase the quieter, more introverted students are given a safe place to share their ideas. Sharing thoughts will a class of seventy can be daunting, but talking to your elbow partner is a little less intimidating. This step is important because every student is expected to participate, not just the five or six that continually give feedback to the instructor. And it is helpful to remind students that listening is just as important as sharing! 3. Share: Finally, students are given the opportunity to share their ideas with the entire class. This phase allows for the consolidation of learning by synthesizing individual ideas into a collective understanding. It also provides an opportunity for the instructor to clarify any misconceptions and facilitate further discussion or exploration of the topic. Example: In the psychology class, each pair of students might share a summary of their discussion with the rest of the class, highlighting key points and insights. The instructor could then lead a class-wide discussion, drawing connections between different perspectives and providing additional context or examples. Often, I will ask students to share an insight that they heard from their elbow partner. This practice can tighten up the discussion (Students must remember and summarize, not pontificate!). Applying the Think-Pair-Share strategy in an online context requires some adjustments but can still be effective:
The Think-Pair-Share strategy encourages active learning, collaboration, and critical thinking, making it a valuable tool for both traditional and online instruction. NB: This article was a collaborative effort between Jeff and Chat GPT!
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AuthorJeff Kuntz Ph.D. ImagesExcept where indicated, images used in the blog posts are personal photos, images from NorQuest College or images from Pixabay. Pixabay is a vibrant community of creatives, sharing copyright free images, videos and music. https://pixabay.com/ Archives
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