Think-Pair-Share in Teaching: 7 Variations to Boost Active Learning
Introduction
Think-Pair-Share in teaching is a simple yet powerful way to increase classroom participation. Learning several Think-Pair-Share variations helps teachers break up long lectures and increase active learning. Think-Pair-Share is popular with high school and university teachers because it effectively increases in-class participation, reinforces key concepts, improves student communication skills, and requires minimal instructor preparation time. If you’re not familiar with this activity, it involves:
Think: The instructor presents an open-ended question, scenario, problem, or case study, encouraging students to reflect on the issue and make notes.
Pair: The instructor prompts students to partner with another student to discuss their ideas.
Share: The instructor calls on selected pairs or each pair to share their findings in the larger group.
The quality of the question, scenario, problem, or case you present is essential to the success of a Think-Pair-Share discussion. If the prompt is too basic, it won’t provide enough fodder for the exercise. You want prompts to spark curiosity, feel challenging, and lead to lively dialogue. For dynamic prompts check out A Teacher’s Guide to Asking the Right Questions.
Venn Diagrams
Most instructors are familiar with Venn Diagrams. Differences go in the outside circles and similarities go in the middle. Venn diagrams enhance the Think-Pair-Avalanche activity.
Think-Pair-Share Variations
Because of its advantages, teachers may overuse Think-Pair-Share, causing students to grow bored with the format. These Think-Pair-Share variations promote active learning while engaging students in new ways.
Think-Pair-Rotate-Share
The think and pair steps are the same. Then, students rotate to a new partner and share their personal and paired findings, facilitating a broader exchange of ideas. Finally, the instructor brings the group together and calls on selected students to hear about their experiences. Comparing and contrasting the findings of the first pairing with the second pairing often illuminates interesting insights.
Think-Pair-Avalanche
The think and pair steps are the same. Then two pairs form a group of four. In the next round, the instructor directs each quad to join another quad (8 students in total). Groups create a Venn diagram showing shared and differing ideas.
Draw-Pair-Share
The instructor presents a concept, question, scenario, or problem, and students draw their thoughts using images, symbols, and minimal words. Students pair up and discuss their drawings with a peer. Instead of sharing through a group discussion, students post their images around the classroom and circulate to view classmates’ work and discuss aspects of each other’s images. This TPS variation is a great way to engage students who are more artistic than verbal and to approach content from a unique perspective.
T-Chart Diagrams
A T-chart is a graphic organizer that divides information into two distinct columns to compare and contrast aspects of a topic. The initiating question must relate to pros and cons, facts and opinions, causes and effects, or best practices or worst practices.
Think-Pair-T-Chart Compare
A T-chart is a graphic organizer that divides information into two distinct columns to compare and contrast aspects of a topic. The initiating question must relate to pros and cons, facts and opinions, causes and effects, or best practices or worst practices.
In this Think-Pair-Share variation, students think about the instructor’s prompt and pair up with a peer to create a T-chart. When prompted by the instructor, they join another pair and compare their T-charts. They identify similarities and differences.
Think-Question-Mingle-Share
The teacher presents students with a problem, scenario, or case study to unravel. Instead of discussing solutions, students develop a list of questions to ask classmates. Next, the instructor prompts students to mingle around the classroom. When the instructor calls “stop,” students partner with the peer closest to them, and each has a chance to ask the other one of their questions. After “mingling” for a set period, the instructor brings everyone together to discuss the activity and unanswered questions.
Pair-Think-Research-Teach
The teacher assigns pairs a series of 1-3 concepts and asks them to think about and write down everything they know about them. Next, pairs research their concepts, adding to their knowledge. Finally, two pairs join, and each pair teaches the other about their concepts.
Rank-Pair-Share
Students individually rank a list of options (e.g., rank these unethical behaviors in order from least harmful to most harmful to clients). They share their list with a peer, and then the pair creates a new list of agreed-upon rankings. During the sharing phase, the instructor asks students to compare their rankings, and students defend their choices.
Quality Prompts are Essential for Success
Remember that the success of a TPS discussion depends on the quality of the question, scenario, problem, or case you present. If the prompt is too basic, it won’t provide enough fodder for the exercise. You want prompts to spark curiosity, feel challenging, and lead to lively dialogue. With effective prompts, TPS activities enhance in-class participation, reinforce key concepts, improve student communication skills, and foster satisfying classroom learning.
Facilitating Large Group Discussions
Often, students lose focus when they come together at the end of a Think-Pair-Share variation. Many have fully processed the question or problem and feel they have little more to learn. Teachers might use the Add. Build. Challenge. method developed by Jones and Williams.
Ask the class to listen to the discussion with these questions in mind (write them on the whiteboard):
- Is there anything else someone can add?
- Can you build on another student’s answer or response?
- Do you want to challenge the answer or response by providing an alternative?
In Closing
If you love the Think-Pair-Share discussion format but want to mix up classroom activities, try one of these seven Think-Pair-Share variations. Remember that the success of a discussion is the quality of the question, scenario, problem, or case you present. If the prompt is too basic, it won’t provide enough fodder for the exercise. You want prompts to spark curiosity, feel challenging, and lead to lively dialogue. With effective prompts, Think-Pair-Share variations increase in-class participation, reinforce key concepts, improve student communication skills, and lead to satisfying classroom learning. For more ideas to increase active learning in your classroom check out 40 Activities that Anchor Student Learning. This complimentary CE course is a popular offering in our Massage Classroom Coach resources.
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