There may be resistance to change and a sense that the expertise of the teacher is lost to the students. One technique which is low risk but highly effective is the modified lecture . The lecturer pauses at least three times during a fifty-minute lecture to allow discussion among students. Students think when they are asked to write or speak and when they work together. It can take as little as 5 minutes or be the basis of a 15-minute discussion.
Participation is encouraged by each person in the class.
Active learning is promoted. Creating Excitement in the Classroom . George Washington Univ., 1991. A Sourcebook for Higher Education , National Center for Postsecondary Teaching, Learning and Assessment, University Park, PA, 1992. This idea can be used at the beginning of class, several times in the middle as a way to generate discussion, and as a way to bring closure to the class.