Today I would like to talk about interaction inside the classroom. Interaction is defined as an occasion when two or more people or things communicate with or react to each other. In theory, interaction is essential in the process of learning, in which communication between the teacher and students is paramount. However, in practice, this is not always the case. Traditionally, the role of the teacher was assumed to be that of a transmitter of knowledge, and the students were mere recipients.
But we defend a different kind of approach: that of a bidirectional and interactive method as the best way for teaching and learning.
As for me, I would like to teach Biology in the first year of Bachillerato using the method of CLIL. The term CLIL was coined by David Marsh, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland (1994): "CLIL refers to situations where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language with dual-focused aims, namely the learning of content and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language". So, this means that I'll be teaching the normal Biology subject, as described in the
Spanish high school educational curriculum, but in English. In order to fulfil this objective, I would combine the normal classroom lectures with reading recent articles in newspapers, magazines and other publications relevant to our subject, and I would assign my students with the task of writing a commentary composition at home about these articles. Afterwards, each student would read their composition to the rest of the class, and we would all pool together all our ideas and debates would be encouraged.
Learning and teaching strategies:
Here are several strategies for learning and teaching that can promote interaction in class, along with their advantages and disadvantages:
- Games: playing simple word games or even using objects. Having fun can be an important factor in the learning process, but they also require a great deal of creativity from the teacher and sometimes they can be a distraction for the students.
- Discussions and debates: the method that I have just described before. Often revolving around a current issue, these debates may be relevant to the lives of the students, which may arouse the students' interest in participating. On the other hand, some debates may require additional encouragement from the teacher for the students to take part in them.
- Workshops: these activities revolve around a theme, such as cooking or writing. The students are actively working, and the teacher is guiding and helping them, all this done in a shop like atmosphere. This is one of the most interactive activities, as the attention is centred around the student, who actively does things with their own hands, and not merely listening to a lecture. On the other hand, this kind of activity also requires the most creativity from the teacher, good preparation of the class and good planning. It also requires fairly small groups of students (20-25 at the most) for each student to receive proper attention. Also, not all teachers are well suited for teaching workshops, because they are more used to lecturing.
- Presentations: either individually or in groups, students create a presentation in order to expose it in front of the class. This activity fosters teamwork and information research skills and helps to combat stage fright. On the other hand, it may look like a lecture, but done by a fellow student instead of the teacher.
- Explanations and doubts: quite self-explanatory, the students ask questions to the teacher about the current class content. This is the most common form of interaction in class, the simplest one and the one that requires the least amount of preparation. On the other hand, most students require encouragement to ask their questions.
- Correction and feedback: another common form of interaction. The teacher gives feedback on the student's task which in theory allows them to correct their mistakes and learn from them. The only disadvantage that I can think of is that in numerous groups of students, the teacher's attention may be spread too thin to help each student properly.
- Role-playing: allows the students to imagine themselves in certain real-life situations and play their roles. This can be perceived by the students as a game and can be a fun experience, which fosters learning. On the other hand, not all teachers are prepared for such activities.
- Peer-partner learning: a collaborative experience in which students learn from and with each other. Students reflect upon previously taught material by helping peers to learn and, at the same time, develop and hone their social skills. There are two roles in this kind of activity: the doer and the helper. The doer performs a task or answers questions; the helper observes and provides feedback and helping information. On the other hand, this kind of activity requires planning, and most teachers prefer lecturing rather than this kind of activity.
