Abstract
This paper explores the reform ideas for student-centered efficient classroom teaching methods,based on the personal experience of the first author as a visiting scholar at the University of British Columbia(UBC)in Canada,focusing on the”Jigsaw Reading”teaching method.
Keywords:Jigs aw Reading;Classroom Teaching;Insights
1.Reason for Selecting the Topic
The”Jigsaw Reading”teaching method isa highly engaging approach commonly used inclassrooms at the University of British Colum-bia(UBC)in Canada.During a six-monthtraining program,the author encountered this method multiple times in academic Englishand academic mentorship courses,where stu-dents found it memorable and educational.This paper discusses the potential applicationof this teaching method in university class-rooms in China.
2.Introduction to the Jigsaw ReadingTeaching Method
The Jigsaw Reading teaching method,in-spired by the jigsaw puzzle game,involves di-viding reading materials into discrete partsand systematically grouping students to re-construct the original text through collabora-tion,discussion,and logical integration.Thisstrategy aims to enhance students’learning
experience,strategies,and outcomes,achiev-ing both “Iearning to know”and “learning tolearn.”
In an academic English course,the in-structor,Naomi,divided a short story about adrunk driving accident into ten sentences,each written on a separate piece of paper andposted on the blackboard.The class was divid-ed into six groups,with each group collaborat-ing to reconstruct the story.One member readthe sentences aloud,while others recordedand arranged them logically.The process fos-tered teamwork,English reading,speaking,re-cording,and logical analysis skills.Althoughour group secured second place,the experi-ence was enriching and memorable.
According to cognitive psychology,JigsawRcading intentionally creates informationgaps.To fill these gaps,students must inter-nalize existing information,grasp the internalconnections and logic between text segments,and make reasonable guesses through group collaboration.This method not only aids En-glish teaching but also has high referencevalue for many other disciplines.However,ef-fective implementation requires thoroughpreparation by teachers.
3..Main Steps
1.Forming Learning Groups:Jigsaw Read-ing relies on cooperative learning.Beforeteaching,students should be grouped consid-ering academic performance,abilities,andpersonality traits to ensure balanced groups.Each group should elect a leader with coordi-nation skills to organize activities and assignroles such as recorder,coordinator,and pre-senter.
2.Preparing Teaching Materials:WhileJigsaw Reading is effective,not all materialsare suitable.Generally,longer,narrative-stylearticles are more appropriate.Some materialsmay need adaptation.After selection,materi-als are copied,divided into segments,shuffled,numbered,and distributed to students.
3.Setting Teaching Objectives:Despite itsgame-like format,Jigsaw Reading must haveclcar learning objcctives .Teachers shoulddefine goals,design application scenarios,select materials,and provide feedback afterimplementation to enhance teaching effective-ness.
4.Teaching Effects
1.Enhancing Active Learning:Jigsaw Read-ing encourages active participation,explora-tion,hands-on learning,and collaboration,fostering students’abilities to acquire and pro-cess information,analyze problems,and solvethem.Through reading,discussion,verifica-tion,thinking,and judgment,students im-prove their reading and critical thinking skills.
2.Fostering Teamwork:Group membershelp,share,collaborate,inspire,and guideeach other,creating a dynamic,interactivelearning environment.This cooperative ap-proach reduces learning difficulty,alleviatesanxiety,optimizes time,and improves efficien-cy.
3.Increasing Interest in Learning:Incorporat-ing games into reading classes enhances stu-dents’interest and enjoyment,transformingreading into an engaging,emotional,andself-improving process.J igsaw Readingchanges traditional reading models,makingreading a game-like process involving analysis,cooperation,integration,and reconstruction.
5.Application Prospects in Work
Jigsaw Reading is not only effective for En-glish teaching but also has broad applicationprospects in various disciplines.For example,in finance,it can be used to teach significanthistorical events with clear timelines,such asthe evolution of currency systems.Similarly,itcan be applied in economics,management,history,literature,and many other fields,making it highly adaptable.
6.Conclusion
Jigsaw Reading is an effective teachingmethod that leverages the fun and challenge ofjigsaw puzzles to stimulate students’motiva-tion and interest in reading,transforming dullclassrooms into lively,dynamic,and engagingenvironments.However,effective implementa-tion places high demands on teachers,whomust become organizers,facilitators,and ob-servers of activities.Teachers need to investeffort in material preparation,activity design,and reading skill integration.They should alsoshift from being knowledge givers to guides,establishing authority through process coordi-nation and content guidance.Students,too,should transition from passive recipients toactive knowledge creators and participants.Insummary,Jigsaw Reading is innovative,prac-tical,and adaptable,worthy of widespreadpromotion in university education in China.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the “2018Guangxi Philosophy and Social Science Plan-ning Research Project:Research on Green Fi-nancial Cooperation Modcls in the Bcibu GufUrban Agglomeration”(Approval No.:18FJY001).
References
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2.Yang Jinglan,”Exploration of Junior HighSchool English Teaching Based on CooperativeLearning Models,”Middle School Students’En-glish (Junior High School Edition),2012(5),47.
