Four Quarter Classes

TTY: Harry Pardue and other guest seminar speakers, Dick Vitale and other coaches

Most college classes are 50-60 minutes long. Most undergraduates have an attention span of far less than that. In order to keep students engaged, I divide each class into four segments but the time allotted is not equal. I’ve named the plan Four Quarters, with an analogy to a basketball game or other sporting event. The order of topics varies but includes the four items below. Normally, the first quarter is a review. Between quarters I use a refocusing technique. I expect the students to always know which quarter is underway.

Harry Pardue (professor emeritus from Purdue University) used photos from around the world in his 500 student General Chemistry classes to signal a change in topic and to refocus student’s attention. In my experience, a short lecture break is very effective. What you use to refocus is not important, the fact that the professor plans little breaks so that students who have drifted off become actively engaged, is the key issue.

In general:
First Quarter (5-10 minutes): Review of previous class, prep quiz material (subject of a future blog), relationship to our current lab exercise, homework Q&A.
Second Quarter (approximately 20 minutes) : New material
Third Quarter (approximately 20 minutes) : Active interaction with the new material such as problem-solving, small group discussion, Q&A
Fourth Quarter: practical links to today’s world.

The rationale for the four quarter approach is drawn from athletic competitions that normally have quarters/innings/sets, The participants can then regroup, talk to a coach or teammates and return with a new focus. Immediately after a break, we look for enthusiasm and productivity. The same is true during a college class. I’m always looking for quick effective methods to refocus a group of students!