Teaching methods

There are many ways to convey knowledge to students. Using a multitude of teaching methods can help with processing the materials of a class in different ways. It can extend or deepen students understanding.

This page contains a multitude of teaching methods, suitable for different (online) classroom activities. The teaching methods vary in time and are intended for different group sizes, like individual, small groups or a full group.

Tips for online adaption have been added to some of the methods. For more tools to support online classes, see the digital pedagogy page or TUNI Digital Toolkit.

On this page, methods have been categorized into six categories which are:

Activation and orientation
Knowledge building
Brainstorming
Critical thinking
Summarizing
Evaluation and reflection

The boundaries between categories are not precise, and some methods could belong to multiple categories. Adapt the methods according to your own needs.

If you would like to add a method to the list or suggest other changes to this page, please contact tlc@tuni.fi.

Activation and Orientation

Entrance tickets

Goal: activation, summary, reflection
Length: 5 minutes
Group size: individually
Materials: pen and paper

How to:

At the start of the class, ask students to write down what question they want to get an answer to during this lesson.
Time: less than 5 minutes
After class, ask the students if their question was answered. Answer any unanswered questions from the students.
Time: 5 minutes (depends on the amount of unanswered questions)

Knowledge warm-up

Goal: activation
Length: 5-10 minutes
Group size: individual/group
Materials: pen and paper

Preparations:
Prepare an argument, problem, question or news article related to the topic of the class.

How to:

Before introducing the topic of the class, present the students with the prepared question.
Ask the students to think about the question individually.
Start a brief group discussion on the topic and ask the students what comes to mind when thinking about the question.

Compiling the knowledge base

Goal: activating prior knowledge, building knowledge together
Length: 15-20 minutes
Group size: groups of 4-5
Materials: pen and paper

How to:

Introduce the topic of the class.
Ask the groups to briefly share their thoughts or questions.
Time: 5 minutes
Form groups of 4-5 students. The members of the group each share their thoughts. As a group, they gather all the information in writing. Any questions that arise can be written down as well.
Time: 5-10 minutes.
Ask each student individually to write down 3-5 thoughts that come to mind when thinking about the topic.
Time: 5 minutes

Minute circle

Goal: activation or tuning in
Length: depends on group size
Group size: any
Materials: –

How to:

Introduce the topic of discussion to the students. Give them a couple of minutes to gather and structure their thoughts.
Every student gets exactly one minute to share their thoughts on the topic. Use a timer to make sure that it is exactly one minute.
After every student has shared their thoughts, it is recommended to either briefly summarise the thoughts of the students or to discuss some of the shared thoughts with the group.

Knowledge building

Snowball

Goal: building knowledge
Length: 15 minutes
Group size: group of 4-6 students
Materials: pen and paper

How to:

Divide the group into smaller groups of 4-6 students. Provide every student with a sheet of paper.
Every student briefly and clearly writes down a thought on the topic of the class.
Each person gives their paper to the person sitting next to them, who adds a thought or a critical comment as a follow-up. The papers keep getting passed along, while students add thoughts to them, until everyone gets their own paper back.
Students can discuss their thoughts and ideas with the group.
After, the teacher can start a group discussion, to ask about interesting discussions.

Gallery walk

Goal: broadening or deepening the knowledge base
Length: 45-60+ minutes
Group size: as many small groups as there are sub-topics
Materials: Flipcharts and markers

Preparations:
Divide the topic of the class into smaller sub-topics. There cannot be more sub-topics than there are groups that can be formed.

How to:

Introduce and explain the overall topic to the students.
Introduce the sub-topics of the main topic. Divide the group of students according to the number of sub-topics. The division can be made randomly or based on interest or expertise.
Each group has their own flipchart that they use to work on in their own sub-area. Students work together to gather as much information as they can on the sub-topic. Once they are done, the flipcharts are spread around the room or hung on the wall. The students are now expert in their own sub-topic.
Time: 10-15 minutes.
The students regroup, so every group has an expert from every sub-topic. The students circulate between the flipcharts, where every expert explains the findings and ideas. The other students can discuss and ask questions.
When all the flipcharts are discussed, there will be a group discussion. Ask the students about the most important findings, ideas and thoughts. Also encourage the students to take pictures of the flipcharts so they can consult them at a later moment.

External link: Tevere, Näyttelykävely (in Finnish)

Online adaption:

Create an online whiteboard for each group so they can share their ideas there.
Ask the people in the breakout room to make sure that they save their ideas and findings. Create new breakout rooms with one of the members of each group and have them present to each other.

Learning Café

Goal: building knowledge, creation, brainstorming
Length: 45-60+ minutes
Group size: as many small groups as there are sub-topics, ideally groups of 4-6 students
Materials: flipcharts, markers/pens

Preparations:
Divide the topic of the class into smaller sub-topics. There cannot be more sub-topics than there are groups that can be formed.

How to:

Introduce and explain the general topic of the class.
Divide the students into smaller groups and explain the sub-topics to them. Every group gets their own flipchart with markers. Every group elects a chairman.
The students start conversations about the sub-topics and write down their thoughts and findings on the flipchart. The chairman can lead the discussion, so everyone contributes to the group.
Time: 10-15 minutes.
The students regroup, while the chairman stays with their own topic. New groups get explanations from the chairman about the previous discussion. In the new formation, the students can discuss and add to what is already written down on the flipchart.
Time: 10-15 minutes.
This can be done once or until every student has discussed multiple/all the subtopics. It is recommended to change the chairmen, so all students can participate in other topics.
After the discussions, the chairmen present the flipcharts with findings to the class.
It is recommended to have a group discussion after the presentations for general summary, but also for in-depth questions from the students.

External link: Innokylä, Learning Cafe eli oppimiskahvila (in Finnish)

Online adaption:

Create an online whiteboard that the students can work on.
Instead of closing the breakout rooms and opening new ones with each session, try moving the students around between the breakout rooms.

Brainstorming

Cumulative group

Goal: brainstorming
Length: 20 minutes
Group size: individual – pairs – groups of 4
Materials: pen and paper

Preparations:
Prepare a problem or point of discussion for students to think about.

How to:

Introduce the problem to the student and explain it.
Students will think about the problem individually and gather their thoughts.
Time: 1-3 minutes.
The students will now form pairs and discuss their thoughts together.
Time: 5-10 minutes.
After, a pair of students will find another pair. They will discuss the similarities and differences that they observed.
Time: 5-10 minutes.
Ask some groups about their results and have a brief group discussion with the students.

Online adaption:

First, let students think about the problem individually. Then divide them into breakout rooms with a pair or group of three or four students. Advise small groups to discuss the topic and decide a thought they want to share with the whole group. After the breakout session, ask small groups to present their thoughts in a main session to others.

Open Space

Goal: brainstorming, building knowledge
Length: 45–60+ minutes minutes
Group size: any
Materials: flipcharts, markers, sticky notes, pens

Preparations:
Prepare the theme for the open space.

How to:

Introduce the theme of the class.
Creating the agenda. Encourage students to come to the middle of the class, take a sticky note and write down a problem, topic or question they want to discuss in a group session. They then put this on the flipchart. Once a student writes down an idea, they are the host of that discussion, meaning that they are the one to make sure that key points are documented.
Once the agenda is filled, the group breaks up into smaller group sessions. Students can attend whatever topic they find interesting. Together they come up with ideas, solutions and discussion points. If a group decides that they have a good flow, they can choose to continue with their session.
Time: 10 minutes per session
After the session is over, tell students to put their findings on the general flipchart. After this, a new session starts. There can be multiple sessions.
The law of two feet. Encourage students to attend the group discussion that they find interesting. If they are neither learning nor contributing, they should attend a different session. This gives students the freedom to talk about what they find interesting.
After the sessions, it is recommended to summarize findings and answer any questions from students.

External link:

What is Open Space Technology? (Ultimate Guide)

Lotus blossom

Goal: brainstorming, common knowledge building
Length: 45–60+ minutes
Group size: up to 6 students per group
Materials: flipcharts, pens, markers; can also be implemented with sticky notes

Preparations:
Prepare the central theme of the session.

How to:

Option A:

Introduce the central theme of the session and give explanations where needed.
Divide the group into smaller groups with up to 6 students per group.
Ask the students to draw a 3×3 grid in the middle of the flipchart. This should result in a square with 9 boxes. Ask them to write the central theme in the middle box.
The students are now to brainstorm about the general theme. They write down 8 ideas or solutions in the boxes of the grit.
Ask the students to make a 3×3 grid for all 8 of the ideas that they came up with. The goal is to think of 8 new ideas for each of the 8 ideas they came up with in the initial session.
After they are done, discuss the findings with the students.

Option B:

Introduce the central theme of the session and give explanations where needed.
Create a 3×3 grid with a central theme in the middle.
Ask the students what concepts they connect to the central theme. Write these on the boxes around the middle box.
Optional Stage: Vote with students on what concepts they wish to pursue. For example, give each one three votes that they mark on the grid next to the concept they want to take to the next phase. Students can assign all the votes to one concept or divide them into several.
Choose the concepts that the groups continue with. Divide students into groups to discuss one concept per group.
Finally, gather together and each group will present their output to others. Discuss the findings.

Online adaption:

Can easily be adapted to an online environment by using whiteboard tools such as Zoom or Teams whiteboard. Use sticky notes to create the grids and breakout rooms for group discussion. Everyone can edit the same whiteboard or you can assign the groups on different pages on the whiteboard to create their own grids.

External links:

Lotus Blossom, Haaga-Helia
Lotus Blossom Technique Week Three, Oakley STEM Center (video 5:32 min)
See TUNI Digital Toolkit for whiteboard tips.

Make a cube

Goal: brainstorming
Length: 15 minutes
Group size: individual
Materials: pen and paper

Preparations:
Prepare the central theme of the session.

How to:

Introduce the topic of the brainstorm.
Ask the students to draw a cube on their paper.
For each of the 6 sides of the cube, ask the students to write down the following:
a. Describe the topic
b. Compare the topic
c. Connect the topic
d. Classify the topic
e. Argue for or against the topic
f. Personalise the topic
Let the students draw a conclusion from brainstorming and discuss them with the group.

External link:

Academic Writing Tip: 8 Brainstorming Techniques (tip #2)

Critical thinking

Line segment

Goal: structuring thoughts and opinions, critical thinking
Length:
Group size: any
Materials: –

Preparations:
Create discussion points that can have a “strongly agree”/ ”strongly disagree” reaction.
Make space in the classroom so students can walk to two sides.

How to:

Students form a line in the classroom.
Pose a discussion point to the students. They then walk through the classroom and take a stand on the topic. This can be on the “strongly agree”, “strongly disagree” or somewhere in the middle.
Start a discussion with the students on their views and opinions on the topic.
Repeat until all topics are discussed.

Online adaption:

Create a whiteboard with one of the various whiteboard tools. Put “strongly agree” and “strongly disagree” on either side of the whiteboard and let students place themselves somewhere in between.

External link:

See TUNI Digital Toolkit for whiteboard tips.

Peer review

Goal: critical thinking, feedback
Length: 30 minutes
Group size: pairs
Materials: –

How to:

After an assignment, report or project, ask the students to form a pair with another student.
Ask the students to give feedback on each other’s work. This can happen synchronously (during class time) or asynchronously (through discussion forums on LMS or email).
After the feedback is given, it is recommended to let the students discuss the feedback with each other.

Fishbowl

Goal: critical thinking, knowledge building
Length: 30–40 minutes
Group size: any
Materials: –

Preparations:
Creating open-ended questions on the central topic of the class that lead to a discussion.

How to:

Introduce the topic to the class and explain as needed.
Ask 4-5 students to take place around a table in the middle of the class. All the other students stand or sit around in the outer circle and are now observers. In the case of a big group, it is recommended to make multiple “fishbowls”.
The observer students are to remain quiet, observe and take notes. Not only on what is being discussed but also on how the information is conveyed.
The facilitator (who can be the teacher or a student) also takes place at the table. They don’t participate in the discussion but ask questions to deepen the discussion.
There is one open seat at the table. Any student from the outer circle can take place at the table and join the discussion. The other students within the fishbowl will be rotated so all the students have a chance to participate.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Optional: After the discussion, divide the class into smaller groups. Students can discuss the discussions and their observations. They can, for example, suggest ways to convey arguments more convincingly.
At the end, start a group discussion on the topic and talk about how it went.

External links:

Fishbowl strategy, California State University Chico
60-Second Strategy: Fishbowl Discussion, Edutopia (video 1:00 min)

Summarizing

Make a fun game

Goal: creation
Length: 60+ minutes
Group size: 4–5 students per group
Materials: crafting materials, pen, paper, scissors, glue, tape

Preparations:
Gather all the materials before the start of the class.
Make sure to have a clear view of the topic.
Prepare a fun and relaxed classroom environment, for example through the use of music.

How to:

Explain the topic and contents to the students.
Ask the students to use the materials of the class or course to create a board or card game. Ask them to delve into their creativity. They can use whatever materials they have at their exposal.
Time: 45-60 minutes
Once they are done crafting, let the students play each other’s games.
Evaluate the process and the outcome of the games.

Exit slip

Goal: summary, evaluation
Length: 5 minutes
Group size: individual
Materials: pen and paper

Preparations:
Prepare one or multiple short questions about the materials of the class. This can also include a math/physics problem for the students to solve. The goal is to see if the students understood the contents of the class.

How to:

Present the students with the question(s) or problem.
Give the students max. 5 minutes to complete the assignment.
Collect the exit slips from the students or have them hand them in at a central place.
Use the exit slips to see if the students understood the contents of the class. If needed, get back to the topic in the next class.

Online adaption:

Organise an online form where the students can hand in their answers or ask students to put their answers in the meeting chat. Whiteboard tools can also be used here.

External links:

Teacher toolkit: Exit ticket (video 1:02 min)

Write an exam question

Goal: summary, creation
Length: 5–10 minutes
Group size: individual or pairs
Materials: pen and paper

How to:

At the end of the class, ask the students to use the topics from the class to make a question they could expect on the exam. This can be an open-ended or a multiple-choice question.
Either discuss the questions during the class or collect them. This gives insight into the level of understanding of the students.

Online adaption:

Organise an online form where the students can hand in their questions or ask students to put them in the meeting chat or whiteboard.

Alphabet

Goal: summary
Length: 5–10 minutes
Group size: any
Materials: whiteboard and marker

How to:

On the whiteboard, write out all the letters of the alphabet.
Ask the students of the class to give words that are related to the topic of the class. The goal is to have at least one word for all the letters of the alphabet. If students can’t think of any word for a letter, help them by giving suggestions.

Online adaption:

Use a whiteboard tool or a simple text document in the online setting.

Evaluation and reflection

3–2–1

Goal: summary, reflection
Length: 5–10 minutes
Group size: individual
Materials: pen and paper

How to:

Ask the students to write down the following things as a form of reflection:
- 3 things that the student learned during the class.
- 2 things that they found interesting.
- 1 question that the student still has.
Answer the questions from the students or let them discuss the questions in smaller groups.

Online adaption:

Set up a whiteboard for topics and questions. Small group discussions can take place in the breakout rooms.

External links:

Teacher toolkit: 3–2–1 (video 1:19 min)

Let’s bounce around!

Goal: reflection
Length: 5–10 minutes
Group size: any
Materials: a throwable object

Preparations:
Acquire an object that can be thrown from person to person.

How to:

The students spread themselves throughout the class.
Throw the object to one of the students and ask them what the most valuable insight or idea was that came from this class.
When the student is done talking, the object is thrown to the next person. This goes on until everyone had a turn. It is recommended to give students a time limit to make sure that the activity stays short and fast-paced.

Online adaption:

Since throwing an object online is challenging, ask the students to select a peer and call them by name, or you can assign a new student to answer by going through the entire list of participants.