5 Interactive teaching-learning strategies to spark problem-solving skills
Do you want to know how interactive teaching-learning stimulates a better understanding of students? Read this article to understand how interactive learning boosts the problem-solving skills of students in the class.
The education system in the world is badly affected due to the corona pandemic leaving students with no other option but to switch to the online learning platform. Online learning for students has been the only source to reduce the impact and keep students in touch with the learning process during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the main drawback in online learning is a less interactive learning process which otherwise is the main technique of teaching-learning activities in the conventional system of education. The interactive learning method is a vital part of the traditional education system. It sparks the self-thinking, rationality and problem-solving skills in the students.What is Interactive learning?
Interactive learning is a method of teaching students by their active involvement in the teaching and learning process. It incorporates traditional procedures and strategies to seek the attention of students for result-oriented learning strategy. Interactive learning enhances better understanding and problem-solving skills. To make the learning process more interesting for the students, let's look at some of the interactive teaching-learning strategies to enhance the learning experience in the class.Ice breaker activity
Ice breaker activity stimulates comfortable interaction between the participants in the classroom by engaging in an interesting or intriguing activity. Ice breaker activity is designed to welcome the newcomers in a class and create a friendly atmosphere in an institution. And allow participants and newcomers to express themselves comfortably before other peers and participants.
There are many ways this icebreaker activity can be carried out in the classroom. The most effective tool for this activity is to engage the students and encourage them to introduce themselves to other learners in the classroom. This would help stimulate a relaxed atmosphere for the new students in a school or a college and boost their confidence in an icebreaker activity.
The other effective and significant tool to engage students and stimulate a conversation is by asking questions like 'Two Truth and a lie' and ask learners to spot a lie in the question. This is an intriguing and tempting method to broaden the participation and reduce the hesitation of the students in a classroom. So, ice breaker activity enhances the efficiency of learners, curtails nervousness and hesitation through different tempting and attractive methods.Think-Pair-Share (TPS)
Think-pair-share is the next vital and significant part in the interactive learning process to make the teaching-learning process fun blended with interesting procedures and strategies. TPS is a three-stage activity. First, a teacher asks a question to students and provides them time to THINK on a topic. The second stage is to encourage learners to PAIR in small groups and discuss the question with other learners in the class. In the third stage, students come up with topics and SHARE it with the entire classroom for discussion.
Think-pair-share activity is a collaborative learning technique in which a teacher asks open-ended questions to students and allows them some time to think quietly and come up with ideas to share with other students in the class and raise a topic for discussion.
Questions can be asked on any subject or topic. It can be on science, mathematics, or any other subject or activity that could develop thinking abilities in students. This interactive learning technique enriches and accomplishes student's mental faculties, develops their problem-solving skills and instils the morale of students in the class. Case studies
Case studies are yet another impressive interactive learning model that helps learners to come up with a solution to a certain problem. Case Study is a problem with many solutions or it can be a question with many answers. Teachers in the class ask students to solve a particular case or figure out a solution to one particular topic. It can be based on any question, topic or interdisciplinary model of subjects like STEM( Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Teachers encourage students to work together to find answers or a solution to a particular problem. This activity would inculcate among learners the interest in research work and stimulate their scientific temper. In this activity, students look for a problem to examine and investigate, try to understand it and formulate a structure to present a solution to the problem.Debates
Debates are as vital and important as other learning activities for students. Debates are planned instructional strategies that involve two or more students in the debate and claim an idea and discuss it with each other through their arguments and counter-arguments. It helps students listen to other participants and develop their viewpoint on a particular point. It develops the personality of learners and enables them to modify their behaviour and drill into the confidence, foster communication abilities and imbibe the problem-solving skills.Jigsaw interactive learning activity
A learning activity invented and developed by Elliott Aronson, jigsaws have developed the interest of students, enhanced test performances and increased attendance of learners in schools. In this learning activity, the teacher divides five students into jigsaw groups and appoints a student as a leader in each group. The teacher then divides the lesson into 4-5 parts and assign parts of the lesson to each group. To understand the lesson, the teacher gives some time to the students. Then allows students to present their summary or details of the part of the lesson and encourage others to ask questions and responses to get a proper understanding of the entire lesson. Conclusion
For developing interest of students in the learning process, it is a prerequisite to modify the teaching methods and develop an action plan to promote interactive learning strategies. Any interactive learning activity helpful to cultivate a better understanding and problem-solving skills must be encouraged and implemented in the teaching-learning process.
The interactive teaching-learning process is an important way to make the students come out of the fear of talking in presence of others. Many students are good at the subject and they know the answers to the questions posed by the teacher or by the other students. But they may not open up and tell the answer with a fear that they may be wrong and other students may laugh at them. Such students by participating in these classes where the teacher encourages the students to express themselves will come out their shyness and become good at expressing their knowledge before others. The ice breaker activity will make the students to get familiarized with others and slowly they will start talking with each other. The TPS activity is a very good activity to make the students understand the value of teamwork. They will understand how to conduct themselves in a group and how they can express in a group.