Engaged students learn better: Zoom in
Thomas Courtley
Education Specialist
Discover a learning technique to help you capture and maintain the attention of your students by stimulating their natural curiosity.
How do you keep your students interested in your lesson?
Being a great presenter and storyteller is essential for capturing your students' attention and guiding them through lessons. One effective method to enhance engagement is the 'zoom in' learning technique, which encourages students to focus on small details and draw conclusions as they uncover more information. Each lesson begins with a close-up view, offering small 'zoom-ins' of a larger concept or image.
As students analyse each new detail, they gradually connect the dots, building a clearer picture of the topic. This approach promotes curiosity, critical thinking, and deeper understanding, making complex ideas more accessible and memorable.
How does 'zoom in' work?
With this learning technique, students come to understand that thinking evolves. Each time the brain is presented with new information, their understanding matures. This approach encourages learners to focus on details and experience how their initial thoughts can shift as more pieces of the image are revealed. It emphasises the dynamic nature of thinking, highlighting that conclusions change as knowledge deepens.
As the lesson progresses, students are gradually stimulated to ask relevant questions and engage more critically. They begin to connect the dots, drawing their own conclusions. By the time the full picture is revealed, students have not only grasped the overall concept but also developed essential skills in reasoning.
A lesson that your students will look forward to
To get the most out of this learning technique, you need to select a complex picture containing a lot of detail. The main goal is for students to ask relevant questions and elaborate information, not to guess what the initial image is. That is secondary.
Each new piece of the puzzle (image) is accompanied by a new question, such as:
- What do you see?
- What do you notice?
- Has the new information provided answers?
Start by choosing the perfect image and embedding it in your lesson. Once you have decided which sections you want to show to your students, in which order, use a black filler to erase the parts of the image you want to conceal, one by one.
Continue concealing parts of the image with the black filler, slide by slide, until your screen is black, and the original image is no longer visible. Remember to start by showing your students your last slide first - the black one - and work your way back.
When can you use it?
You can apply this learning technique to any subject or topic, without limitations.
