The activity “I Heard That” is an interactive method to actively engage students in processing and sharing knowledge. Through summarizing and retelling, students not only learn to understand the core of the theory but also to communicate effectively and listen critically. This activity promotes understanding, collaboration, and the development of presentation and listening skills.
- Activity goal
- Activate prior knowledge | Exchange knowledge
- When
- In class | Pre class
- Where
- Offline
- Duration
- < 30 minutes
- Group size
- Small | Medium
Step-by-step
Step 1
Before the lesson: Assign each student a topic to summarize the theory on half an A4 page. Make sure the topics are well distributed across the course material.
Step 2
Divide the group into subgroups of three people: A, B, and C.
Step 3
Student A reads/tells their summary to B without interruptions. C does not listen (covers ears).
Step 4
Student B summarizes A’s story for C. This encourages active listening and reprocessing of information.
Step 5
Student C listens to B and may ask one open question to A about the theory. This stimulates critical thinking and understanding.
Step 6
The subgroup evaluates the quality of the summary and the question.
Step 7
Rotate roles within the subgroup for a new theory summary.
