Quick Summary
Part-way through or at the end of a period of teacher exposition, you pause and ask students to create a short written summary of the main points. For example, you might say:
Write down everything you have understood about [X].
Write down everything you have understood from the last 15 minutes.
Write down your key take-aways.
Why use this technique?
As well as providing formative information to you and students themselves about what has (and hasn’t) been understood, this technique helps ‘chunk’ lessons and can stop students becoming bored by having to pay attention to a presentation for too long without a break (it is a specific of the technique Chunk It).
Example
In a modern studies lesson, the teacher has been talking to the class about alternative punishments to prison using an interactive PowerPoint presentation. Fifteen minutes into the presentation (which is planned to last for 30 minutes), a slide appears that reads ‘Quick summary’.
Teacher: ‘I would like everyone to take five minutes and write down what you think are the key points we have covered so far in your jotter.’
The teacher circulates the room, looking at jotters as they move around. They have a notebook with them, which they use to jot down key things they are seeing. After five minutes, they re-address the class.
Teacher: ‘Everyone stop there, thank you. Right, so I saw a few interesting things. Firstly, I saw many of you writing [this]. Well done. That’s a very important point. However, I saw a few of you writing [this]. Be careful with that – that’s not quite right. What should we have been writing, please... Tom?’
Tom gives a correct answer.
Teacher: ‘Good. Okay, who would like to share some other points that they wrote down?’
Hands go up and the teacher chooses different students to answer, giving feedback on what is said each time.
Focused reflection
How well do you currently use this technique?
Is it a technique you will focus on developing?
If so, what are the key features you will focus on (things to do, and not do)?