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Engage Students: Incorporate Movement and Multi-Sensory Learning
While education advocates have been calling for more opportunities for movement in K-12 classrooms for years, recent research [1] shows that movement is just as important in higher education classrooms. Sitting for extended periods can negatively affect both memory and attention span. While these tips are geared toward using movement in an academic classroom, they are also easy to incorporate at department meetings, professional development workshops and seminars, conferences, outreach initiatives, and more. Although incorporating movement into your classroom may initially seem like it takes away from direct instruction and learning time, it may actually enhance your students’ cognitive functions and productivity. Adding movement as a strategy to your teaching toolbox can increase student concentration, alertness, and class enjoyment [2].
Here are a few strategies that you can implement immediately to increase movement in your classroom:
Carousel Strategy
Items needed for this strategy:
- Five to six large pieces of chart paper
- Markers
- Printed review questions
One strategy for incorporating movement into your classroom is called the Carousel Strategy. The Carousel Strategy is an excellent cooperative learning technique that can be used to introduce new material or to spark discussions about material that has already been covered. It is also a great way to review content in preparation for a quiz or test.
To begin, the instructor selects key ideas, topics, or questions that they want students to review. If the instructor is providing a study guide for an upcoming exam, using questions from the guide is a great way to review together and address any common questions students may still have about the content. The instructor will hang five to six large sheets of paper around the classroom. On each sheet, write 3-5 questions for students to review. Divide the students into groups so that each group is assigned to one sheet of paper. Give students five to ten minutes to read the questions and discuss their answers. If students have any questions about the material, they should write them on the chart paper. After the designated time, students will move clockwise to the next sheet of paper and repeat the process.
Takeaways
- Incorporating movement into the classroom in higher education, has been shown to improve memory, attention span, and overall cognitive function.
- This teaching tip provides easy-to-implement strategies like the Carousel Strategy, Total Physical Response (TPR), and Card Swap Review, all designed to engage students physically while reinforcing learning.
- These activities not only promote active participation but also foster deeper understanding and retention of material.
- If you’re looking to enhance student engagement and productivity, this teaching tip offers simple, research-backed ways to integrate movement into your lessons.
Once students have worked their way through every station, gather them as a group and facilitate a class discussion, addressing the questions written on the chart paper. Allow time for students to take notes and record useful information.
When implementing the Carousel Strategy, it is important to consider accessibility. If some students are unable to move freely around the classroom, offer modifications to ensure all students can participate.
Total Physical Response
A second strategy for promoting movement in the classroom is called Total Physical Response (TPR). TPR involves using physical movement, actions, or gestures to help students learn vocabulary. This technique is particularly effective when teaching language or vocabulary concepts. Instructors use physical movements to introduce new vocabulary terms, which has been shown to improve comprehension and strengthen memory and understanding.
An example of this technique can be seen in an Anatomy and Physiology class. The instructor might teach terms such as flexion, extension, rotation, abduction, and adduction by using corresponding physical movements. For instance, to demonstrate flexion, the instructor would stand with their arms at their sides and raise them to shoulder height while saying, “Flexion,” which shows the bending of the joint. To demonstrate extension, the instructor would lower their arms back to their sides while saying, “Extension,” which shows the straightening of the joint.
Next, the instructor could turn their head to the left and then to the right while saying, “Rotation,” which demonstrates the movement of a bone around a central axis. To show abduction and adduction, the instructor might extend their arms to 90 degrees in front of them. As they say, “Abduction,” they would move their arms outward to the sides, illustrating the movement of a body part away from the midline. Then, while saying, “Adduction,” they would bring their arms back toward the center, demonstrating the movement of body parts toward the midline.
This strategy is also a wonderful way for students studying foreign languages to remember vocabulary words. Once students know the movements, they can then practice the vocabulary with one another or independently. One way for students to practice together is for one student to say the term while the other performs the corresponding movement while repeating the word.
Card Swap Review
Items needed for this activity:
Multiple sticky notes in different colors, or multiple note cards with different colors drawn on them.
A final strategy to get students moving in the classroom is called Card Swap Review. This is a great review activity that encourages student engagement. Begin by creating a list of review questions based on your lesson or current unit. You can also use questions from a study guide if students are preparing for an exam.
Give each student one color-coded card. For a class of 30, assign three or four students to each color. Ask a review question, and students must get up from their seats and find someone with a different colored card to share their answers. Once they’ve shared their answers, they exchange cards.
After the first exchange, ask the second question, and students repeat the process by finding someone new with a different colored card. Every three to four questions, have students return to their seats for a brief class discussion to address any questions or misconceptions. Then, continue the activity until all review questions have been completed.
In conclusion, incorporating movement into your classroom is more than just a break from traditional lecture-it is a strategy that will enhance cognitive function, memory retention, and student engagement. As educators, using these techniques can lead to a more dynamic, productive, and effective learning environment [3].
References
[1] Nicksic, H., Lindt, S. F., & Miller, S. C. (2020). Move, Think, Learn: Incorporating Physical Activity into the College Classroom. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 32(3), 528-535.
[2] Ferrer, M. E., & Laughlin, D. D. (2017). Increasing College Students’ Engagement and Physical Activity with Classroom Brain Breaks: Editor: Ferman Konukman. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 88(3), 53-56.
[3] Peiris, C. L., O’Donoghue, G., Rippon, L., Meyers, D., Hahne, A., De Noronha, M., … & Hanson, L. C. (2021). Classroom movement breaks reduce sedentary behavior and increase concentration, alertness and enjoyment during university classes: a mixed-methods feasibility study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 5589.
