In a lab, how do you engage a student that isn't actively participating?

This week I asked Dr. Ron Rutowski to address this question about keeping students involved specifically in a lab room. Dr. Rutowski has been a faculty member in SOLS for over 35 years doing research on animal behavior and coloration and teaching courses with laboratory components such as Comparative Invertebrate Zoology and Research Techniques in Animal Behavior.

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Ron Rutowski, PhD

In a lab, how do you engage a student that isn't actively participating?

There are at least two circumstances where this can happen.  One is that in whole-class discussion students can check out.  Here are some ways to deal with that.

1. Especially if they are near the back of the classroom, move so you are standing close to them.  This is especially easy in lab rooms where the front may be less clearly defined, and also when student lab groups are presenting.
    
2. Call on the inattentive person by name.  This could be preceded with having all students briefly discuss an issue with their group and then call on the inactive student by name.
    
3. If they say they do not know the answer or did not hear the question ask them to talk to their neighbor for a minute to develop a response.  This is perhaps the most discomfiting tactic for you and the student but I have seen it work.  A student usually only has to be the target of this tactic once for obvious reasons.

The other circumstance is when the students are doing group work and one is not actively involved.  Often this is because there is nothing for them to do because the more active students have quickly taken up the more active and interesting tasks.  When I see this I have sometimes intervened and asked that the students switch jobs so everyone gets experience with all of the demands of the exercise.