Read the latest EduTopia article on ‘Bringing Interval Instruction to Your Classroom’.
Michael McDowell says, “When we head to the gym, some of us spend the majority of our time engaging in aerobic activities, and some of us spend most of our time lifting weights. Others mix and match, engaging in a series of workouts that mix cardio and lifting. This latter form of workout, known as interval training, may be a great option not only for working out but also as a parallel approach to helping students learn in the classroom.
A recent study compared the learning of students when provided with extended time in direct instruction or active learning: a block of both in which students engaged in each methodology for about nine minutes and in intervals of three-minute changes between both approaches. The three-minute intervals turned out to be the most beneficial for students in learning and applying core content. The intervals allow students to stay focused on explicit modeling while also having time to process the information with others. These two approaches appear to complement each other when placed in a brief window of time.”