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Use The 3–2–1 Tool for Anytime Student Engagement
A colleague recently shared a teaching strategy he uses called the 3–2–1 method. He learned about the method in a lunch and learn style session with his university’s center for teaching and learning. As we discussed the tool, I recognized immediately that it has a lot of potential uses.
What Is It?
The 3–2–1 method is a student engagement tool where you ask students to summarize readings, lectures, or a combination of other course material that they consume and/or participate in. According to The Teacher Toolkit, students share:
- 3 things they learned
- 2 things they found interesting
- 1 question they have about the information
Who is it for?
Teacher Toolkit — the website referenced above which describes the 3–2–1- method — is aimed at primary and secondary teachers. The colleague who shared the method with me is using it very successfully in a college classroom. So, clearly this method has universal appeal.
Additionally, the Teacher Toolkit web site includes a few alternatives based on the method — and the possibilities seem endless. One I thought of just in reading those alternatives is to ask the students for three questions they had while reviewing the material for…
