Improving class interaction combats boredom

Students have experienced distance learning for an entire semester, yet some classes remain mundane, failing to increase engagement and alertness. Combined with distractions and various circumstances at home, repetitive lectures only make it more challenging for some to pay attention. Implementing fun and creative methods of teaching into lessons is a simple and effective way that benefits students by encouraging engagement and staying attentive for the duration of class.

The implementation of creative assessment tools allow students to enjoy their class time as well as their studies. At the end of a lesson, a variation of a quiz would test the ability of each individual student while also having them compete against each other. Partaking in a competitive educational game gives students a reason to listen during lectures. This way, class time is not filled with boredom due to soulless talking that leads to forgotten information, a waste of students and teachers’ time. 

Applying review games to class also makes the time more interactive. Distance learning has caused participation among students to decrease, which is why these games can act as a supplement. Teachers can make students take these review games as participation to help them measure what they learned. Now, every student will have the opportunity to participate while not having to stress about speaking publicly on a Zoom call, and teachers are also offered insight into how well students are taking in the information.

In any learning environment, admittedly, there might simply not be enough time for games, especially when classes are an hour long and only meet twice a week. Teachers are mandated to go over everything that is needed for a course, and every second is precious. However, weaving in different learning activities will only reinforce what was taught during the lesson. Without an effort to reinforce engagement, many fail to pay attention due to a virtual learning environment or even completely forget what was taught. Improving lesson plans for the benefit of students should always be considered, and livelier methods can easily achieve this.

Changing how class is conducted with games like Kahoot or Quizlet Live offers an incentive for students to pay attention during lessons. Although the teachers’ efforts in educating students and creating lesson plans have not gone unnoticed, adjusting part of their schedule to impose these review games is instrumental in motivating student involvement in class.