SEMINAR

The lecturer starts on time and chooses to carry on when students arrive late.

The lecturer starts the session by clearly stating the key question for discussion – ‘when did Germany lose the war’?

Right at the start of the session, he initiates the process to encourage students to think critically. He acclimatises students to the level of thinking required to answer an (apparently) simple question, by challenging them to think along the entire time line of the conflict, rather than to concentrate on the end only.

The lecturer encourages different contributions and the students fully engage with the process. He is able to determine through the contributions made, where there may be misunderstanding or a lack of factual knowledge.

The lecturer writes students’ contributions on the board, which helps students to understand their thinking. This process also motivates students to elaborate arguments based on knowledge and critical thinking in a safe and supported environment.

The lecturer demonstrates his deep knowledge of his students’ backgrounds as well as clear engagement with their learning process.

He also describes the pedagogy which underpins his choices of learning activities to enable the achievement of the expected learning outcomes.

The lecturer also reflects on the use of body language and the teaching space. He becomes aware of the particular use of one of his hands in relation to the way he conducts himself in the classroom, which he perceives as successful in his practice.

Having gathered student opinion as to why (when) Germany lost the war, the lecturer organises the students into pairs to consider, for 2 minutes, the opinions, or to come up with an alternative opinion. In this way, students are able to try out their opinions with a peer, and to clarify their understanding with each other.

By providing students with short timing to work on their answers, as well as by giving them a concise question, the lecturer helps them to focus on a task and deliver accordingly.

The lecturer is able to listen in on the discussions, and provide feedback and further questions to guide the students’ learning. Students practice their arguments with the lecturer. By dong this, the lecturer gets an idea on student understanding of the content. The lecturer also includes everyone and by getting closer to each group, he is in contact with students and makes them feel valued.

The lecturer presents a logical interpretation of events to support an argument, before inviting students to ‘tear’ his argument apart. He has provided an example of a trap into which students commonly fall due to superficial analysis. In inviting challenge, the lecturer is encouraging the students to think beyond the obvious, and to be able to challenge accepted wisdom in a safe environment and to provide sound argument. He is also showing them that he values their responses. Incorrect responses are politely dealt with and clarified; correct responses are accepted and the argument is moved on.

He continues to check student knowledge by asking students to provide a definition a concept. He writes the concept on the board, and follows up student definitions to deliver clarity of understanding. The lecturer is also helping to improve students’ command of the language in the discipline.

Through this sequence of critical challenge, students are introduced to a key concept in their subject and are given the tools necessary to succeed in the subject. The initial argument is developed from a student’s contribution, which is important for the lecturer’s inclusive practice.

The lecturer presents a logical sequence of events to support an argument, and identifies how such an argument would provide food for debate. Through this, he is able to raise a key concept in the subject (history and inevitability) with the group, and demonstrate how superficial analysis would weaken an argument. He continues by giving examples of how an argument should be constructed and phrased.

He makes notes on the board which can be used by students to structure their own notes.

As the session progresses towards its closure, the success of the lecturer’s attempt to encourage creative and critical thinking is demonstrated by a student’s contribution of a hypothetical scenario with regards to winners of WW1.

The lecturer clarifies his understanding of the student’s contribution, but does not answer it himself. He uses the scenario as a tool to challenge the thinking of other students through a series of questions.

The use of student contributions motivates students, encourages participation and helps them to construct arguments.

Counterfactual history reference: http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ahr/109.3/bunzl.html

The lecturer uses questioning to engage student contributions. He waits for students to answer, before moving on and clarifying. Questioning allows the lecturer to check how much students’ have learned, and to demonstrate their learning – thus motivating them.

He is receptive to student contributions, and identifies where students need to remember key facts.

The lecturer demonstrates expertise with his subject, and a confidence born of deep knowledge, which encourages the students to take a chance and contribute an answer to his questions.

The entire sequence is delivered through a combination of student contributions, lecturer questioning and fact generation which promotes the development of critical thinking skills.

The lecturer deviates from the lesson plan to addresses an issue which, from a student’s contribution, raises his awareness that there may be some lack of factual knowledge.

He goes round the class asking for a different fact from each student. The lecturer’s easy relationship with the students is demonstrated when a student ‘cheats’, and when a student who had lost her voice was encouraged to contribute through whispering to him.

The lecturer has incorporated ad-hoc checking of learning, and established that students need a clear knowledge of the facts to support their arguments. It is important to get students to increase their factual knowledge so their understanding grows and develops deeper.