Active Learning: “Two-Minute Paper”
The “Two-Minute Paper” is a highly effective technique to check student progress, both in understanding the material and in reacting to course material. Ask students to take out a blank sheet of paper, pose a question (either specific or open-ended), and give them one (or perhaps two – but not more) minute(s) to respond. Some sample questions include: “How does John Hospers define ‘free will’?” “What is ‘scientific realism’?” “What is the activation energy for a chemical reaction?” “What is the difference between replication and transcription?” and so on. Another good use of the minute paper is to ask questions like “What was the main point of today’s class material?” This tells you whether or not the students are viewing the material in the way you envisioned.