This workshop looks at ways to get students genuinely engaged in class discussions, moving participation from infrequent to integral. It focuses on strategies that elicit thinking, prompt students to wrestle with ideas, and enable peer discussions. The workshop explores how instructors can facilitate such activities using electronic voting and Peer Instruction (PI). Rather than just quizzing students, PI draws on students’ collective knowledge to spark discussion, encourage critical thinking, and deepen understanding of the subject matter. Participants will learn about different types of PI questions (with several examples from STEM subjects), practice writing their own discipline-specific PI questions, and learn how and when to integrate a complete PI sequence into their own teaching.
Learning ObjectivesBy the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- be familiar with the structure and facilitation of a Peer Instruction (PI) sequence
- recognize how each phase of a PI sequence supports conceptual understanding and critical thinking
- apply strategies to motivate students to actively participate in PI activities and class discussions
- use electronic voting systems to initiate subject-related discussion (rather than only assess understanding)
- design and adapt different types of PI questions
Methods
Inputs, applying the Peer Instruction method, and reflective discussion on Peer Instruction implementation
