Computer Writing and Research Lab | University of Texas at Austin

The Perils of Engagement

Submitted by wdmartin on February 14, 2008 - 3:52am

I am facing a new difficulty this term. Some of my students are too engaged.

I hear you. You're saying, "What? Getting my students to speak at all is like pulling teeth, and this schmuck is worried about students who are too engaged?" Yeah. I'm as surprised as you can possibly be at this turn of events.

I'm teaching web development. At this point in the term, the students are learning HTML and CSS. We have a huge mountain of technical details to plow through, all of which they need to know, because otherwise the code they write simply will not function.

I have a class of 19, out of which three or four people are very interested, and grasp things quickly. They ask questions, a lot. The questions are good, logical questions, too. The problem is that these few students going too fast. I sidetrack to answer their questions, and pretty soon the class has been thoroughly derailed. The student (or students) who asked the questions have got their answers, and the other 15-16 students are absolutely, hopelessly, completely lost.

One student in particular (let's call him "Frederick") has a bad habit of asking questions about things I'd planned to gloss over till next class. For example - I was showing them how to specify background and foreground colors. I was using the limited selection of pre-defined color keywords, which are limiting but very easy to grasp. At this point, Frederick asked "Sometimes I see colors specified as a bunch of random numbers and letters all mashed together - what's up with that?" It was an excellent question. I had planned to answer it the following class period, but I felt obligated to give him some kind of answer right then. He kept pressing for more details, and I kept giving them until I found myself explaining to the class how to count in base 16. We had gotten so far sidetracked from the original lesson that I never managed to cover some truly vital material that they needed in order to complete the assignment that was due the following day. I had to send out an email with that info in it, which is just not as good as an interactive lesson where I can answer questions as they arise.

I'm very happy that these few students ask questions. There have been times when I was absolutely desperate for anyone to ask any question at all. But if the result of answering that question means that I leave behind most of the other students ... that's not so good.

I have long believed that our students teach us how to teach. I suppose the lesson I have to learn from this particular experience is that sometimes you just have to say "Sorry, not now. We'll get there. We've got other fish to fry at the moment."

»

I like Erin's answer and I

Submitted by laurasmith on February 18, 2008 - 1:00pm.

I like Erin's answer and I think it's often appropriate and necessary to table a question in order to get through basic stuff that really needs to be covered first. Asking the student to do something with his or her question (write it down, post it to a blog or to a "Questions for Later" forum) communicates to the student that the question is valuable and ensures that you both remember to address it later. (And then you actually have to remember....)

But further, I think that students often know when they're asking derailing questions. They usually know that it's an overly-fine point, or not totally relevant, or not of interest to everyone... but they're doing it partly to impress you and impress their classmates. They're wanting attention. Not that their curiosity/engagement isn't ALSO real, but they often KNOW that's it's not where you meant to go that day. (And the class usually knows too, and then it can become something of a spectacle...)

I've found that this kind of "show-off curiosity" can become more of a problem once it starts. They start *trying* to do it because derailing the class ultimately makes them feel smart. So, it's all the more reason to nip it in the bud in a way that still takes their curiosity seriously, but doesn't allow it to become too performative or hinder the class.

I also wonder if you could turn it into an assignment? Something like, "That's a great question and we can't cover it today, but why don't you do some research and write about what you find for your blog post this week?" Or, "that would make a great paper topic." Turn it into an individualized research assignment.

»

I tend to agree that

Submitted by jonathanlamb on February 19, 2008 - 7:11pm.

I tend to agree that students know when they're asking derailing questions. But this semester I'm starting to question this assumption in the case of one particular student. He seems oblivious to the fact that everything he says takes us away from the topic of discussion. He rambles on until I (sometimes rudely) interrupt him and pull us back on track. He's quickly becoming "that" student that makes everyone else just shut down out of annoyance. He also makes the instructor shut down out of similar annoyance.

The problem is that none of the superb solutions listed above seems to work with this student, precisely because he's unaware of how off-topic (and arrogant) he is. What to do, besides just telling him to stop talking so much (which I have now done twice, once in private and once in front of the class)? I'd appreciate any thoughts.

»

not now . . .

Submitted by Ljones on February 18, 2008 - 10:53am.

I sometimes find that talking individually to *very* engaged students can help. Simply to say to them personally (and privately), "It's great that you are so quick to catch on to what we're doing. You ask great questions. Try to be patient while the rest of the class catches up."

»

As I read your post, what

Submitted by erinhurt on February 15, 2008 - 11:40am.

As I read your post, what came to mind was that it would be great to find a way to keep your student's questions on the table while still setting them to the side. I was thinking that you could try writing them on the board or posting them on a wiki (or setting something up where students could post their own questions), either as a place where they would be answered later (after class or online). This might send the message that you are interested in these questions/that these questions are valuable, while showing at the same time that the appropriate time and place for them is later and/or outside the classroom.

»