Teaching Time Management Skills Keeps Students On Task

Madison, Wis.—June 14 — Instructors new to higher education usually don’t get much training in how to manage a classroom. And many of their more experienced colleagues have not received direct training on classroom survival tips, either.

But Peter Saunders, director of Oregon State University’s Center for Teaching and Learning, reviewed 15 “make or break” teaching strategies that can get new instructors off to a good start or help experienced instructors refine how they manage their classrooms. He outlined these teaching tips during the June 14 Magna Online Seminar “15 Survival Strategies for Instructors in Higher Education.”

During the seminar, Saunders recommended that instructors emphasize time on task when asking students to participate during in-class activities, such as group work. Except for taking examinations, most students have little experience relating time to task completion, Saunders said. The result is often unfocused, unproductive class time.

“If you ask students, ‘What does four minutes feel like?’ or ‘Can you predict when four minutes are up?’ they’ll say, ‘No.’” But by emphasizing time on task, you will improve students’ productivity, as well as their ability to focus—a skill that will serve them well in all of their educational pursuits. Saunders recommended using electronic timers to keep students on track during group work and keep excessive socializing from eating up time that could be spent accomplishing a goal.

By asking students to complete a task within a short time—perhaps three or five minutes—and using a timer, students begin to internalize a sense of time and learn when they need to focus quickly, Saunders said. In many instances, when the timer rings, students say they can’t believe the time is up, he noted.

“This will show up on your [instructor] evaluations,” Saunders said. “They’ll say, ‘Loved the course, hated the timers.’”

If you missed the seminar and would like to order a transcript or CD of the event, click here to visit our online catalog.

Magna Publications is a leading publisher of newsletters and other information products in the higher education segment. Magna also manages onsite and online conferences on topics of interest to higher education.

For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.