Blended think-pair-share with SpeakUp as inclusive and engaging pedagogical activity

The instructor raises specific open questions related to the content of the lecture. The students first think individually about the questions raised, then they pair their insight in groups of two or three and then share their thoughts by posting them on the SpeakUp classroom interaction app, which acts as a classroom chatroom. On the app all students can discuss each other’s anonymous posts and vote on them. The instructor then starts the in-class discussion based on the student input. The goal of the activity is to engage students with the learning material and make them an active part of the learning process. As such, the activity has the potential for creating a supportive classroom environment, challenging old habits of unilateral teaching, and helping students to develop critical literacy.