Revving-up a silent class

Assistant Professor of Finance John Kim stopped-in a few weeks ago with a dilemma… he had a section of silent students, unwilling to answer questions or participate in discussion. Students may have been learning the material, but it was hard for Dr. Kim to tell, given the hesitancy to ask questions. We discussed ideas, and I asked him to report back.

In his summary below, he gives me a lot of credit, but I had never heard of the app Multibuzz. I want to give it a try. As a result of his efforts, all students are engaged in answering complex questions, and will likely remember this as one of their better learning experiences. Research on pedagogy suggests that students better retain content from courses that engage them in similar ways.

The outcomes of his efforts are a great example of what makes the College of Charleston Extraordinary.

Here is his story…

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“Student Engagement – The Endless Woes of an Assistant Professor” by Dr. John Kim, Assistant Professor of Finance

As a second-year assistant professor at CofC, I’ve faced many classroom challenges, but this semester introduced me to a new one: the deafening sound of silence. My students didn’t talk, didn’t laugh at my tried-and-true jokes, and left the room so quiet I could hear a pin drop. My confidence was in free fall.

Desperate, I tried everything: asking them what was wrong, begging for engagement, even questioning what would best support their learning, nothing worked. After sharing my struggles with colleagues and bouncing ideas with our Associate Dean, Carrie Messal, I went back to the classroom armed with a game plan—literally.

I introduced a competitive quiz game. Students paired up, picked creative team names (I recommend explicitly banning your name as a team name—it’ll happen!), and used their phones as buzzers. We used the Multibuzz app, which allows students to scan a QR code and buzz in via their phones. The app shows who buzzed in first, along with the exact time differences between responses. It was perfect for end-of-chapter questions and midterm reviews. Points were awarded for correct answers, while incorrect answers led to a deduction. At the halfway mark, the team with the most points wins a prize.

The result? Even my quietest students became engaged, their competitive streaks finally surfacing. It’s been a fun and effective way to get them solving problems and participating in class.

Any other tips for increasing student engagement? Let me know!

John Kim