By the Center for Engaged Learning
The Tarot of Teaching deck is a creative tool designed to enrich and energize the structure of a class period. It divides the flow of a lesson into three key stages, each represented by a different category of cards: Starting Our Journey (beginning of class), Along the Way (middle of class), and Reaching Our Destination (end of class). Each card within these categories offers a unique teaching tip aligned with its intended time in the class period, making each session more engaging, organized, and impactful. Need to catch up? Check out Part 1.
Category 2: Along the Way — Topic: Chart Your Course
This card is from Category 2, Along the Way. The topic explores reframing a task to reduce anxiety and foster inclusive learning participation.
A recent study of large lecture courses found that only about 15% of students were willing to answer questions often or fairly often. What about the other 85%? The most common reasons for not responding were a lack of confidence in their answers and anxiety (Nadile et al., 2021). While the researchers found that students generally perceived in-class questions as helpful, whether or not they answered, this dynamic often fosters participation from a small subset of students (~15%) while discouraging active learning for the majority.
Our colleague, Dr. Andrew Arnold, shared a technique to address this issue by changing how questions are framed. Instead of asking students to “answer a question,” he invites them to “rehearse their response.” The term “rehearse” implies a low-stakes opportunity to think through ideas, removes the pressure to provide a definitive correct answer, and reduces anxiety. It also reinforces that learning is an ongoing, scaffolded process rather than a singular moment of "right" or "wrong." It allows students to "chart their course" and plan a response, instead of "winging it" and improvising.
This technique allows flexibility in how students engage with questions. Some may draw a picture or diagram, others refer to their notes, and some may need time to process their thoughts. Encouraging students to represent the material in their way aligns with Universal Design for Learning Principles, prioritizing multiple means of representation and expression. When students ultimately share their responses, they do so supported by their chosen modality.
In practice, students can share their rehearsed responses with a peer, the instructor, or the class, emphasizing “in-process” learning rather than presenting a final, polished answer. This approach helps students better accept feedback or adjustments to their thinking, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic learning environment.
Next up: Card 3: Reaching Our Destination
Resources
PLOS ONE. (2020). Understanding student participation in large classes: A study on confidence and anxiety. Retrieved from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0243731
CAST. (n.d.). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines: Representation. Retrieved from https://udlguidelines.cast.org/representation/
Kent State University, Center for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Wait time: Making space for authentic learning. Retrieved from https://www.kent.edu/ctl/wait-time-making-space-authentic-learning