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We live in an era where technology has become the dominant force across all major aspects of our lives, including our education. As new educational platforms emerge and change the way we learn, it’s only natural that we introduce new skills to improve our grasping abilities.
Over the years, the role of a teacher has evolved. We’ve moved on from being a learning society where the social roles were defined by social learning to an information-driven society. Today, a teacher isn’t the sole custodian of knowledge. Rather, they’re among the various information sources easily accessible to learners. It’s essential that teachers upgrade their skills to stay/become more relevant and facilitate the learning processes. One such essential skill is the skill of stimulus variation. In this article, we’ll try to understand what is stimulus variation and its advantages along with examples of stimulus variation in micro-teaching.
Before we understand the concept of the skill of stimulus variation, let’s first understand the concept of micro-teaching.
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What Is Micro-Teaching?
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What Is Stimulus Variation?
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What Are Different Components Of Skill Of Stimulus Variation?
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Advantages Of Stimulus Variation
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Become Role Models
What Is Micro-Teaching?
Micro-teaching is a training and faculty development technique for teachers. It involves recording training sessions and getting those reviewed by another faculty for constructive feedback about what worked and further improvements in the teaching approach.
What Is Stimulus Variation?
Stimulus variation in teaching is a key skill that helps students stay attentive and motivated in class. The skill involves teachers conducting different attention-grabbing action patterns that sustain the interest and attention of students. It’s a way of improving children’s learning ability by making them more attentive and responsive.
Developing the skill of stimulus variation in micro-teaching sessions allows teachers to prepare well for their classes and keep learners on track. A skilled teacher can smartly integrate stimuli variations during their class and create an efficient learning environment. (leaguefeed.net)
What Are Different Components Of Skill Of Stimulus Variation?
As mentioned above, the skill of stimulus variation in micro-teaching involves using different methods and techniques to make a class more interactive and exciting. The skill of stimulus variation includes purposeful actions that draw students’ attention to an ongoing lecture. The variation in different stimuli helps in generating interest among learners and aims at improving their academic achievements.
There are multiple stimuli involved in creating a healthy learning environment. Some of the critical skills of stimulus variation are mentioned below:
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- Purposeful Movement: A planned and purposeful movement in class is one of the essential skills of stimulus variation. The motion to the chalkboard to explain a particular point or draw diagrams or a predetermined set of hand movements to describe an event are examples of stimulus variation in micro-teaching. Such actions help students better understand the academic concepts and improve their contribution. However, a teacher must avoid unnecessary or unwanted movements as that might distract students.
- Gestures: This component includes making body movements to communicate certain meaningful and important ideas to students. Examples of different gestures can be:
- Moving of head or hands to get attention
- Moving hands and fingers to describe events, things and measurements
- Nodding head to show agreement with students or to encourage them
- Showing wonder or adoration by raising eyebrows
All such acts, when performed correctly, make them more expressive and effective.
- Variation In Speech: Another important skill of stimulus variation in teaching is voice modulation to reach out to students effectively. Speaking in the same monotonous pitch can bring down the energy of a class and, consequently, drop attention levels. However, when you introduce certain specific speech variations, the class can become more attentive and focused. An example of such skill of stimulus variation can be a sudden raising of the voice to get students’ attention or modulating voice while reading a prose or a poem to help students realize the underlying emotions. The key aspect here is to be energetic and speak confidently. The throw of the voice should be loud and clear but not too loud to shock students.
- Taking Deliberate Pauses: This is a continuation of the previous skill of stimulus variation in teaching and learning. While teaching, you should deliberately pause to grab students’ attention. By pausing, you also fuel their desire to listen more. The key here is not to talk fast or lose breath. Also, note that “pausing” doesn’t imply that you should “stop talking”. By pausing, you’re aiming to generate more curiosity in your class about what’s coming.
- Interaction Style: One of the most important components of stimulus variation in teaching and learning is the interaction style between students (the whole class) and the teacher. There are also constant interactions between students and between an individual student and the teacher. It’s important to bring variations in each of these interactions to maintain energy and an upbeat learning environment in class. Some examples of stimulus variations in interactions styles include:
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- Conducting discussions or debates among students to gauge their grasping of the subject
- Appreciating a student for their hard work and achievements
- Integrating skills of stimulus variation mentioned above to make the class more attentive and focused
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These are some of the critical components of the skill of stimulus variation. Consistently integrating these components in your class will help you create a more interactive learning environment.
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Advantages Of Stimulus Variation
There are several benefits of stimulus variation in teaching and learning when done correctly. Some of the advantages of stimulus variation are listed below:
- Improves the overall learning environment
- Enhances focus and attention span of students with the help of multiple stimuli
- Creates a supportive and appreciative environment for students, encouraging them for further academic achievements
- Breaks the monotony of a lecture and brings energy
- Motivates students and increases their curiosity in academics
By integrating these stimulus variation skills, you’ll be able to generate better interaction and attentiveness in your class and help children retain sharp focus and academic curiosity.
Become Role Models
There’s no doubt that teachers play a huge role in shaping students’ futures. What’s more important is to mold yourself as per the changing times to be their role models. With Harappa’s Inspiring Faculty Program, you learn to deliver appropriate, clear and impactful verbal communication. Our aim is to help you ignite young minds and develop an academic focus that will shape their lives. Sign up today and adopt a fresh approach to your communication methods and be the beacon of light for the upcoming generations.
