How might we balance opportunities in class for introverts and extroverts? A toolbox of best practices 1
8. dec. 2015
‘What are some characteristics of Introverts and Extroverts in your opinion?‘ Word clouds from exercise at workshops with students, faculty and administrators. Guess which is introverts and which is extroverts...
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About this project
Why does it matter?
This project has one purpose: To provide practical tools to try
The short version of the difference between the two personality
if you want to balance opportunities in class for introverts and
types is that extroverts gain energy from social interaction,
extroverts.
introverts from alone time.
The tools are collected — through interviews or workshops —
And here is what I believe: Many activities in classes favor
from students, faculty, administrators and other experts who
those who speak up — students are praised for participation in
have shared best practices: Of what they have been exposed to,
discussions, brainstorms, presentations etc — at the expense of
what they have tried as professors and what they have been
quiet reflection and individual creativity. Which essentially
inspired by.
means that extroverts have better opportunities than introverts to excel in class. That is both unbalanced and a wasted opportunity. Introverts and extroverts benefit from each other and a lot of good work is based on quiet reflection and creativity... which is not necessarily happening in fast team work, zippy brainstorms or large class discussions. What can be done to establish balance is the challenge I attempt to offer tools for with this toolbox.
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The basics The labelling of people as Introverts and Extroverts is surely very
So what characterizes the two personality types? One typical
Introversion vs. extroversion has gotten a lot of attention in
simplified. Carl Jung, who coined the terms in 1921, said:
misconception is that introversion is the same as shyness. Let me
recent years, fueled by Susan Cain’s TED talk and book, ‘Quiet:
quote psychologist Linda Kreger Silverman (1993)
The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking’ (2012).
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‘There is no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert. Such a person would be in the lunatic asylum.’
Numerous popular self-help books have been published as well. ‘The American dream is to be extroverted. We want our children to be ‘people who need people’. We want them to have lots of friends,
While I sympathize with all those contributions this project is
Luckily we all lie somewhere between the extremes and in fact
to like parties, to prefer to play outside with their buddies rather
not about ‘revenging the introverts’. One personality type is not
move back and forth depending on the situation. Or because we
than retire with a good book, to make friends easily, to greet new
stronger, nor better, than the other.
have learned what works better. As one student said in a
experiences enthusiastically, to be good risk-takers, to be open
workshop:
about their feelings, to be trusting.
‘When I go to school I turn on an extroverted persona because it helps me there. And then when I go home I actually want to be by myself. But I am always seen as an extrovert when I go to class. Society has taught us to turn on certain sides of ourself… for success.’
We regard anyone who doesn’t fit this pattern with some concern. We call them ‘withdrawn,’ ‘aloof,’ ‘shy,’ ‘secretive,’ and ‘loners.’ These pejorative terms show the extent to which we misunderstand introverts. Introverts are wired differently from extroverts and they have different needs. Extroverts get their energy from interaction with people and the external world. Introverts get their energy from within themselves; too much interaction drains their energy and they need to retreat from the world to recharge their batteries.’
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I use the classification Introverts and Extroverts, simplistic as it may be, because everyone knows what it means, everyone knows what their own personality type is... and everyone knows someone who is really out there close to the extremes! One of the most striking distinctions between the two
lntroverts
Extroverts
Get energy from inside themselves Get energy from interaction in the outside world Real world is the inner world of
Real world is the outer world of
ideas, understanding and meaning people and things
personality types is how they gain energy. If you were to ask
People of ideas and abstract
People of action and practical
both what they really wanted to do the evening after a long and
invention, difficult to understand,
achievement, easy to understand,
taxing day, chances are you would get two very different replies:
often shy
often sociable
Have a public and private self
Are the same in public and in
The introverted, most likely, would want to go home, relax, chill,
private
listen to quiet music, not speak etc. The extroverted would...
Intense and passionate, tend to
Expansive and less impassioned,
party! Go out, meet lots of people, dance to loud music, burn off
bottle up emotions
unload emotions as they go along
Feel drained by people, need
Feel energized by people
some steam etc.. A detailed list of some of the essential differences is offered by Linda Kreger Silverman 2 here:
privacy Have a few close friends
Make lots of friends easily
Quiet in large groups, fear
Outspoken in groups, take risks
humiliation Can concentrate intensely for long Can be distracted easily periods Mentally rehearse before
Think out loud, make decisions
speaking, need time to make
quickly
decisions
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Learn by observing, live life only
Learn by doing, understand life
when they understand it
after they have lived it
Go from considering to doing and
Go from doing to considering and
back to considering
back to doing
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The Toolbox The toolbox explains How to use the individual tools, Why they
The tools are roughly placed under four categories:
might work and in which situations. A. How class is structured/managed/planned I also include anonymized quotes from the people who
B. How assignments, readings and discussions are done
contributed tools and reflections. In a few cases I have slightly
C. How teams are formed and used
edited what was said to make the text flow better.
D. How classrooms are designed and equipped
Finally there are excerpts of texts from experts which I have not spoken to directly. They are used to further explain a point made by an interviewee.
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How class is structured/ managed/ planned
Mixing class activities
Give opportunities for ‘thinking with your hands’
How
How
Having a class with a mix of lecturing and discussing for the
Have students change their physical posture throughout the
entire class and then break it out in smaller teams is one way of
class. If they have been sitting listening or discussing for a while
allowing both personality types to excel.
then ask them to stand up for a team activity. E.g. brainstorms can be conducted standing up around a whiteboard and
Why
generally become much more focused and energetic.
The larger class setting is easier for the extroverted while the smaller sizes allow introverts to think and work.
Why Not only does changing physical posture keep everyone awake
‘Introverts are often energized by the small team.‘
and engaged. It also triggers ‘other parts of the brain’ and thereby allows for more ways of learning: Some students excel while participating in a classic discussion while others find them
‘Mixing up class with different types of activities (lecturing,
intimidating. Those students may spring to life given the
discussion, small team break outs, icebreakers, exercises etc)
opportunity to become more physical and ‘hands-on’.
makes class seem more casual, more like a workshop, less like a classroom. And that takes the intimidation factor out of it, to
It is also a distinction between verbal and non-verbal work. And
the benefit of introverts also. Different activities keeps things
between thinking entirely with reasoning and analyzing and
energetic and that contagious energy helps if you are a
then ‘thinking with your hands’. Activating thinking by allowing
reserved person.’
students to be active and working with their hands may help some personality types to work better.
‘It is important — for introverts in particular — to build
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trust: E.g. ‘ice breakers’ in class, which make the students laugh
‘I currently teach in a classroom that works very well: Tables
and relax work really well. It is important to find ways that do
on wheels which we move into groups and whiteboards on all
not require students to prove how smart they are, hence the
walls. So I ask the students, when working in groups, to stand
success of silly games where it is not necessarily the ‘leaders’ of
at the whiteboard — standing up make a big difference in the
the class who do best.’
level of activity and engagement.’
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‘Whenever we did group work the teacher would ask us to stand up, so that there was a clear definition of everyone together in the big group and in small groups you would stand up. And for some reason when you stood up you were more ready to talk. The level of energy would shoot up.’
‘Think - Pair - Share’
Use social media in the classroom
How
How
The Think - Pair - Share method is explained to the students like
Provide opportunities for students to submit reflections or ideas
this: ‘Decide what you think the answer is. Then turn to the person
on a blog, chat forum or by email. Students can show their good
next to you and tell them your answer. Once you’ve shared, then I
work and offer opinions online rather than in class.
am going to call on you’ (it can also be done in groups of four). Why This gives students time to reflect, vocalize and get prepared. The introverted student has a chance to warm up and it
‘I’ve used online fora asking the students to put reflections or comments there before class. Then I would pick and discuss some in class, thereby ‘lifting’ the introverted students up.’
decreases risks of embarrassment. It’s also good for the extroverts because they think more clearly that way.
Why Allowing students to share reflections between classes seems
‘Particularly with more controversial topics this works well as the students could present someone else’s opinion and not have to present their own which they may be uncomfortable with.’
valuable for introverts. But also helps extroverts think deeper, because often ‘... extroverts discover with their mouths open‘. Introverted students may be more comfortable sharing their ideas this way. Reflections/opinions/work is ‘safe’ for introverts
‘Extroverts vocalize to organize their thoughts. For introverts
as their opinion is always theirs. Professors can select
that is all internal.’
interesting work and ask students to elaborate in class... which will be OK with introverts.
‘I feel, as an introvert, that if the professor tells me it is my time to talk in class, then I have no problem doing so — I don’t lack confidence then. It is when it is a competitive thing there is a problem: ‘Probably someone else has something more valuable to say than me, so I’ll just wait.’
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Watch out that sharing does not turn into a discussion. Some introverts may be uncomfortable when it becomes a question of who is right or smartest.
‘In one class the professor asked the students to comment on each others’ reflections. That completely stopped the open sharing.’
‘Often participation is conflated with preparation, proving that you have prepared. That can lead to a lot of repetition of what someone else have already said and not so much deepening the discussion. A way to avoid that was to have students submit forum posts the night before. When we came to class we didn’t have to prove that we had read and we could focus on e.g. one paragraph of interest.’
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How assignments, readings and discussions are done
Directing extroverts
Wait before calling on students
How
How
A valuable tool is simply some phrases for the professor to use
After posing a question to the class, wait a bit before calling on
in class to balance and moderate students’ input. Like: ‘Let’s give
students for an answer.
somebody else a chance’ or ‘You just spoke on this issue. Who else can contribute?’
Why This gives reflective kids a chance to think and shy ones time to
Why
gather their courage.
If you are trying to establish balance between opportunities for the two personality types then the focus in is not only on how to involve the introverts but how to hold back or direct the extroverts.
‘As a teacher you have to allow time for students to think… which is something that, particularly as a new teacher, freaks you out like crazy: Nobody says anything! But it turns out that the reflection time is actually good for everyone, introverts and
When you use those phrases you help norm the attitude of the
extroverts. As a teacher it is difficult to muster the courage to
class which is something that normally automatically happens
keep quiet. But there is a use for quietness and a lot of things
already in the first couple of sessions. It’s nice to set the ‘rules’
can go on if I shut up!’
in the first class because you don’t know the students yet. If you wait until later in the course addressing it everyone will think: ‘Oh, she is talking about Matt’.
‘Maintaining silent after posing a question to the students I have practiced counting to ten in my head, just waiting. Invariably around ‘eight’ somebody speaks up. In the
‘I always had the most problem with the student who always
beginning this felt almost unbearable but then I have noticed
has his hand up… especially if no one else has their hands up.
that those moments become moments of real comfort. The first
‘I’m not gonna call on you’. This was a class time hawk.’
times the students don’t know what is going on and then I tell them. And then they become comfortable and they reflect more.’
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Assessing participation differently Why ‘Introverts simply prefer quieter environments and to think before speaking. Grading them based on class participation may not be the best way to help them.’ (Susan Cain — ‘Help Shy Kids. Don't Punish Them’ 3 )
‘It’s difficult to assess engagement and participation with introverted students — they could be ’there’ or not ’there’… you don’t know.’
After all, we want to help extroverts cultivate their gift for effective leadership, not simply reward them for their loquacity. I take care to explain these criteria to my students at the outset, so as to make it clear that I respect their personality style not only in word,
How ‘I have an example: If you spoke in a class and it wasn’t really helpful or new, then the professor would not give you good
‘Introverts are more likely to share when it is a personal,
but also in deed.’
emotional or subjective topic — something that can’t be argued with. Then they can’t be wrong.’
marks in that particular class (every class provided this feedback from the professor). I liked that approach of quality
Here is an approach — perhaps controversial — to grading
over quantity.’
participation from Jeff Schwegman at Stanford University 4 :
‘One-on-ones with the professor is a good way for him to assess students’ engagement in other ways than what can be seen in class… and something that works well for the introverts. The fact that you are not really required to go to talk to the professor actually demonstrates even more the engagement of a student.‘
‘If we wish to prevent students from conflating extroversion with academic ability, we must also make good on this promise as teachers. We cannot simply assign participation grades based on how often they speak. In my own teaching, I try to get a sense for each student’s preferred style of participation, and to find ways of evaluating how conscientiously or effectively they contributed through this style. If a student
‘One professor just cut five minutes, no more, out of the
tends to speak only once or twice a class, but makes comments that
beginning of every class where you could go up and talk.
are thoughtful and build skillfully upon what others have said, I
And it was students who didn’t normally talk in class.
award him a high grade. If a student feels comfortable speaking up,
And when he cut off after five minutes he offered students
but routinely ignores what others in the room are saying, I give her a
to follow up on email. He had really good correspondence
lower grade.
with students between classes.’
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‘Introverts, often uncomfortable speaking out in class, find other ways: I get lots of emails outside of class. Or they’ll wait around after class to talk.’
Valerie Strauss, who writes about education for The Washington Post 5 , says about ‘quiet students’: ‘Teachers often define classroom participation as a verbal response that fits into a routine that the teacher has established. Typically, the
Other ways for introverts to show what they can do is e.g. in
teacher asks a question, the student responds and the teacher affirms
team presentations where they show skills not seen during
the correctness of the answer. Students are then said to participate.
normal class. That’s clearly more of a comfort zone of delivery.’ But can students participate without speaking out loud? Should ‘How do you assess participation? Is it the student who talk
teachers consider the times that a student gives silent assent to a
the most? Or is it the student who the night before sends you a
question or thoughtfully jots notes for a future essay as participation?
comment or a question? Perhaps it should be called
Are these useful forms of participation?
Engagement, rather than Participation. I tell students that they have different channels to participate in a class. If they
It is important to note that one student’s silence can enable another
don’t want to speak up there are different ways.’
student to speak. Do students have a responsibility to contribute to the silence of a classroom so that others can talk, along with a
‘If I look at the introversion/extroversion issue per se I would say that introverts need a little more silence and space. A relevant question to ask is ‘How do we engage students in the learning process and does class room participation facilitate learning? Does speaking up facilitate learning?’
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responsibility to contribute verbally to the discussion? How might silence be re-framed as a ‘productive’ or useful contribution to classroom classrooms? Finally, how to we create other contexts for participation such as multimedia projects where students ‘speak’ through recorded text.’
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Managing class discussions Why ‘When I came into a school where participation was
The most successful classes I have had which have build this
emphasized I wasn’t used to it and had a difficult time
sense of community have on the first day of class laid out
speaking up.
ground rules. In this case the students themselves created the rules of what e.g. successful participation meant.’
But part of my reluctance — based on the schools in the culture that I came from — was also listening to those kids speaking up and saying so much nonsense that I didn’t want to be like that. So I felt that I had to change. But I was seeing these students getting recognized for not really anything whereas I would be thinking so hard about my answers. Still I see some teachers accommodate stupid answers where they try to make sense of an answer for the student, like ‘I think what you’re saying is…’
‘It’s really important to establish community in the classroom: That all of the discussion is supporting collective learning. I’ve had classes almost entirely ruined by one person who would waste class time being contrarian — he just wanted to get participation points by contradicting everything everyone said.
‘It has to do with the quality of the response rather than the quantity.’
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Introduce the concept of introversion/extroversion in class How Addressing the differences in learning styles openly in class can
Overall, creating a ‘safe zone’ in class is key to establishing
be helpful. This quote is from Jeff Schwegman at Stanford
balance in opportunities for both personality types. When e.g.
University 6 :
introverted students feel ‘safe’ in class, chances are they will talk more freely and confidently, participate more easily, be less
‘I typically do this during the first day of class, as part of
intimidated by other students etc.
introductions and walking through course policies. Without validating one style over the other, I explain their various strengths and weaknesses and the challenges that both personality types face during class discussion.’ Why
‘For me it depends on the situation whether I fall into the introverted or extroverted category. In some classed I just don’t feel like being in focus. There is a clear distinction between classes for how I will behave.’
‘One of my major aims here is to give students a non-normative tool for understanding their experiences in the seminar. College students
While having the introverts ‘act extroverted’ is in itself not a
— especially the intense, academically-oriented students who make
goal or a solution, it obviously can help to even out the different
it into Stanford — often tend to interpret any difficulties they
types of behavior.
encounter in the classroom as proof of their general intellectual inadequacy. The resulting blow to their self-confidence can further reduce their willingness to participate and take risks.’ (Jeff Schwegman, Stanford University)
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How teams are formed and used
Emphasizing the contributions of all members of team work How A good way for the professor to emphasize the contributions of all team members — including the more quiet but deeper thinking members — is the following activity: ‘List each person in your team and what each person brought to the team today’. Why Not only does it get students to reflect but also established that everybody is supposed to contribute with something. Team work is hard but when it is made to work the best teams are formed of different people. Innovation e.g. springs from differences.
‘Differences are important.’
Real teamwork is not bringing together different people and ‘pass the baton’ between them to have them work their part on on the project. Real team work is collaborative and more than just the sum of parts.
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How classrooms are designed and equipped
Classroom layout 1
Classroom layout 2
How
How
E.g. a U-shape table setting with the professor moving around keeps energy and attention high. It works much better than rows where the back rows get disconnected. Why ‘Any table setting works as long as the professor can get around. The ideal table setting would be a circle where everybody could see each other and have eye contact…
‘Smaller whiteboards that you can wheel around and out of the classroom work better than the big ones. In general everything that is flexible works. Flexible classrooms are probably what we all dream of.‘
‘For discussions sometimes it is really useful to remove the tables and just sit facing each other with no tables in between.’
but then the blackboard would be problematic.’ Why ‘U-shaped table setting AND a professor that moves around
‘It creates a better atmosphere for discussions.’
works well. Nobody can doze off.’
‘It’s important that the professor moves around the classroom. But also that he, at some point, sits down. For instance for discussions that creates a more level situation.’
‘Some students do not want to talk sit in the back. I used The Rotating Classroom (in large classes of 200+ students, red.) where students had to move up one row in every class. Sometimes though introverted students pick the front rows of the classroom because then it becomes a less intimidating conversation with the professor… the problem though is that then they often speak very quiet.‘
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Classroom layout 3
Break-out opportunities in classroom layout 1
Break-out opportunities in classroom layout 2
How
How
How
A mix of Open—Closed and I—We—Shared types of workspaces
Provide opportunities in classroom layout for breakout team
Quiet spaces are in demand by some students. In Danish public
is suggested by Allsteel (a maker of office furniture) as the
session where students create their own space to use for their
schools there was —and possibly still is — ‘stillerum’ (= quiet
ideal for offices. This can inspire the layout of classrooms and
team.
rooms, red.) where pupils could sit, relax, read and study
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other learning spaces: 1.
Open ‘I’: A place where you work alone, but people can see you working.
2. Open ‘We’: Where one team can work and people can see
undisturbed. ‘A big classroom combined with small group rooms — satellites — around them has been used in business schools a lot but are now everywhere. The students really use them.’
Quiet spaces do not necessarily have to be entire rooms but can simply be a corner or nook in a bigger classroom. Or they can be a part of the lobby in connection with the classroom.
them working. 3. Open ‘Shared’: Where many teams can potentially work together and people can see them working.
‘Sometimes students will just create these spaces themselves,
Why
if they are not provided, by using very simple means like
Different areas with different level of activity and socializing
partition walls etc.‘
provides a choice. Some students need to talk, some need to
4. Closed ‘I’: Where you work alone, in private.
reflect. However the classroom as we typically have them do
5. Closed ‘We’: Where one team can work privately.
Why
6. Closed ‘Shared’: Where many teams can potentially work
The big class setting is easier for the extroverted while the
together, yet still have privacy from other people in the office.
smaller sizes allow introverts to think and work.
not provide choice. Introverts re-energize through solitude. The big class setting is easier for the extroverted while the smaller sizes allow
‘Introverts are often energized by the small team.‘
introverts to think and work.
‘A change of scenery, like break outs from the classroom into other rooms or a lobby, works well... assuming of course that the teams function. And for long classes of more than 90 minutes, a change of scenery is absolutely necessary.’
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Use technology meaningfully How Finally here are some remarks from the interviews touching
‘Maybe one professor out of hundreds really knows how to use
upon special classrooms (like learning labs etc) equipped with
the technology and the pedagogy, but else it just seems so
many projectors, monitors, computers, smart boards etc.
forced and superfluous. Nothing can substitute discussions amongst people. I don’t know what the technology is there for.
Why
I don’t know what the goal is.’
‘Classrooms with ‘pods’ of computers are both good and bad. Students report that they are very distracting. You always have a computer monitor between you and others. It’s not very people-friendly.‘
‘Classrooms with lots of technology are probably useful for some classes but not useful for most. You don’t know where to look and to focus your attention anymore. They were designed for a specific purpose originally called Scale-Up.’
‘I hate them. My university is doing a lot of them though.’
‘I feel that the use of technology in classrooms often is forced, as the latest fad. But it gets in the way of the quality of the teaching, not helping it.’
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Postscript One hot topic of discussion throughout the interviews
I teach topics related to creativity and innovation — topics
and workshops has been that everything you do in class
with ambiguous problems and no one right answer to anything.
to balance the opportunities for both personality types
The conversations I have had for this project likely have had a
benefits all personality types.
bias in that direction and the best practices selected have probably been filtered through that personal focus.
Or to put it differently: My initial focus on the introverts and the extroverts may be too narrow. Certainly it is a simplistic
If you teach a completely different kind of topic I hope the
catagorization... but one that everyone knows and understands.
toolbox is applicable there as well. Your feedback on this would be most helpful.
So regardless of whether we use that simple categorization or not, I believe that the challenge of balancing opportunities in class is real. I hope that this project will shine a light on the issue and trigger discussion.
Mikael Fuhr fuhr@me.com Copenhagen 2015 This project is part of the DIS Strategic Initiatives Push
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Interviewees (thanks!)
Sources 1
Helen Li
Keith Gummery
Rob Linkens
Henning Thomsen
Cazzie Mae Reyes
Salman Ahmad
2
Yunshan Yang
Maja Biehl
http://nswagtc.org.au/information/general-reference/278-und
Joyce Weinsheimer
John Kelley
erstanding-the-emotional-intellectual-and-social-uniqueness-of
Joel Weinsheimer
Nabila Wirakusumah
-growing-up-gifted.html
Logan Woodruff
Makaela Stephens
Lila Pickus
Anna Corso
http://www.infj.com/INFJ_Introversion.htm
3
Samuel Hosman
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/02/help-s
Monica Rabii
hy-kids-dont-punish-them/273075/
Martin Holm Jensen Helle Rytkønen Johanne Riegels Ă˜stergaard
4
https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-talk/engagin g-introverts-class-discussion-part-2
Courtney Coyne Jensen Dorte Mari Aggergaard
5
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2 013/02/12/why-introverts-shouldnt-be-forced-to-talk-in-class / 6
https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-talk/engagin g-introverts-class-discussion-part-2 7
http://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/introvert-office-design.html
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