Objective:
In her talk on “The Power of Introverts” Susan Cain speaks about how society favours extroverts over introverts at the expense of society’s capacity for creativity and leadership. She says this is especially important given that 1/3 to 1/2 of the population are introverts.
Reflective:
Reflecting on this I realize two things: First, I am an extrovert; especially when I learn. I like large and small group discussions, enjoy roll play and love to discuss new concepts and ideas with my peers. Second, my teaching tends to favour extroverts over introverts. I minimize the use of lecture and try and employ activities that get learners discussing and applying course concepts with each other. For the introvert I imagine these activities might not be their first preference.
Interpretive:
Three things stand out to me. The first is that the more I can practice mindfulness the greater awareness I will have over how my preferences impact my teaching and consequently my learners learning. The second is a call to action: How can I as an instructor ensure the learning preferences of introverts and extroverts are met?
The second is an awareness of an assumption of mine that more course focussed discussion between learners and the instructor always translates into learner engagement. While this might be true for extroverts it might not always be the case for introverts.
Two approaches come to mind. One involves making sure there are an equal number of instructional strategies employed that suit introverts as extroverts. The second would involve providing two sets of activities for learners to complete where an activity that suited both introverts and extroverts was not possible.
Decisional:
After reading Monahan’s (2013) article I realize there are three quick wins that I can implement to accommodate introverts. First, when it comes time for classroom discussions I will make sure to include paired discussions where each person is asked to think about the discussion topic on their own before discussing it with their partner.
Second, when it comes time for group work I will take extra care to design the activity so that the learning experiences draw on all the group members’ skills as opposed to the person who speaks the longest and the loudest.
Third, when using classroom discussions to assess the learning in the classroom I will hold in my awareness that the quiet learner who does not contribute much may in fact be because he is an introvert and not a sign that he is not learning the material. To this end I will make sure that where possible my assessment methods also involve written assignments that are completed individually in a quiet space and time by the learner.
References:
Cain, S. (2012).The Power of Introverts. TED Talks. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4
Monahan, N. (2013). Keeping Introverts in Mind in Your Active Learning Classroom. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/keeping-introverts-in-mind-in-your-active-learning-classroom/
Isaacs, T. (2009). Introverted Students in the Classroom: How to Bring Out Their Best. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/introverted-students-in-the-classroom-how-to-bring-out-their-best/
In her talk on “The Power of Introverts” Susan Cain speaks about how society favours extroverts over introverts at the expense of society’s capacity for creativity and leadership. She says this is especially important given that 1/3 to 1/2 of the population are introverts.
Reflective:
Reflecting on this I realize two things: First, I am an extrovert; especially when I learn. I like large and small group discussions, enjoy roll play and love to discuss new concepts and ideas with my peers. Second, my teaching tends to favour extroverts over introverts. I minimize the use of lecture and try and employ activities that get learners discussing and applying course concepts with each other. For the introvert I imagine these activities might not be their first preference.
Interpretive:
Three things stand out to me. The first is that the more I can practice mindfulness the greater awareness I will have over how my preferences impact my teaching and consequently my learners learning. The second is a call to action: How can I as an instructor ensure the learning preferences of introverts and extroverts are met?
The second is an awareness of an assumption of mine that more course focussed discussion between learners and the instructor always translates into learner engagement. While this might be true for extroverts it might not always be the case for introverts.
Two approaches come to mind. One involves making sure there are an equal number of instructional strategies employed that suit introverts as extroverts. The second would involve providing two sets of activities for learners to complete where an activity that suited both introverts and extroverts was not possible.
Decisional:
After reading Monahan’s (2013) article I realize there are three quick wins that I can implement to accommodate introverts. First, when it comes time for classroom discussions I will make sure to include paired discussions where each person is asked to think about the discussion topic on their own before discussing it with their partner.
Second, when it comes time for group work I will take extra care to design the activity so that the learning experiences draw on all the group members’ skills as opposed to the person who speaks the longest and the loudest.
Third, when using classroom discussions to assess the learning in the classroom I will hold in my awareness that the quiet learner who does not contribute much may in fact be because he is an introvert and not a sign that he is not learning the material. To this end I will make sure that where possible my assessment methods also involve written assignments that are completed individually in a quiet space and time by the learner.
References:
Cain, S. (2012).The Power of Introverts. TED Talks. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KYU2j0TM4
Monahan, N. (2013). Keeping Introverts in Mind in Your Active Learning Classroom. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/keeping-introverts-in-mind-in-your-active-learning-classroom/
Isaacs, T. (2009). Introverted Students in the Classroom: How to Bring Out Their Best. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/introverted-students-in-the-classroom-how-to-bring-out-their-best/