ACTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUE 27
3-2-1
| Complexity involved in | |
| Planning | LOW |
| Developing Materials | LOW |
| Implementing in Class | LOW |
Description and Purpose
In the 3-2-1 technique, students write about three things they learned in the lecture, two things they found particularly interesting in the lecture, and one question they still have about the lecture. This technique provides students with an opportunity to summarize, evaluate, and question key ideas and information. It is an effective approach for having students consolidate and reformulate information they have just received in a lecture.
Being able to summarize key points from a lecture is a sign of effective listening, and a 3-2-1 activity provides a scaffold for helping students think through the information they have just heard. It helps them to reconsider the key concepts you have covered and sort through them to identify which of those are the most important. This technique also provides an efficient way for teachers to check for understanding and to gauge interest in a topic.
Preparation
- To prepare for this technique, review your lecture to ensure that you will be introducing a sufficient number of new concepts or facts for the activity to be effective.
- Create a 3-2-1 template such as the following to distribute as a handout.
- Practice completing the form yourself to ensure that it can be done and to get a rough gauge of the time it will take students to complete. Plan for about twice as long as it takes you.
| 3 Three new things I learned from the lecture: |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 2 Two things in the lecture I found particularly interesting: |
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| 1 | 2 | ||
| 1 One thing from the lecture that I still have a question about: |
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| 1 | |||
Procedures
- Announce the activity and distribute the handout.
- Proceed with the lecture.
- Conclude the lecture and ask students to fill out their 3-2-1 charts, which should contain the following prompts:
- Three things you just learned
- Two things you found particularly interesting
- One question you still have
- Collect the responses and review them. Consider whether you need to review concepts that students still had questions about and how you will do so.
| Video Lecture | Large Lecture |
| To use this technique in an online class, post the 3-2-1 chart as an assignment, and ask students to submit their responses through the LMS. Alternately, if there is value in having students see each other's responses, post the prompt in a discussion thread. The advantage to this approach is that students can help to answer each other's questions. | In large lectures, it is still possible to use a handout or alternately to have students write 3-2-1 on a sheet of notebook paper. In very large lectures, you will likely want to shift to an online form, such as a survey, which allows you to sort the results and quickly review. |
Examples
Science Fiction (Lecture)
In this seminar focused on science fiction readings, the professor was concerned that discussions were often falling flat. She decided to have students do a 3-2-1 activity following her lectures to ensure that they had understood the lecture and to give them time to process their thoughts and ideas. For example, after reading and attending her lecture on Ender's Game, she asked students to take out a sheet of paper and write 3 at the top third of the page leaving at least three lines for responses, 2 toward the middle third of the page leaving at least two lines for responses, and 1 toward the bottom third, leaving a line for responses. She then asked students to fill in the 3 area with three things they just learned, the 2 area with two things they found interesting, and the 1 area with one question they still had. She then opened the class for a discussion and found students had much more to contribute.
Psychology (Large Lecture)
The professor of a large lecture psychology course was planning a lecture on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The lecture was intended as an introduction, and the class would spend several additional sessions talking about Maslow's work and his model. The professor wanted to check for understanding on the basic concept of the hierarchy immediately after the first session. Additionally, he wanted to be able to answer any student questions at the next class session. He decided to use 3-2-1 charts to provide him with this information.
The professor created a handout with the three main prompts and then proceeded with the introductory lecture. At the end of the lecture, he passed out the handout and asked students to spend five minutes working on it and to hand it in as they left class. Following is an example response:
| 3 Three new things I learned from the lecture: |
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| 1 The five stages |
2 That each step must be met before moving to the next level up the hierarchy |
3 That transcendence was added later on |
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| 2 Two things in the lecture I found particularly interesting: |
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| 1 Certain behaviors can lead to self-actualization. |
2 That people can have some bad habits and still be self-actualized |
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| 1 One thing from the lecture that I still have a question about: |
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| 1 How accurate is this theory? | |||
The professor was pleased with the responses and planned to respond to the questions in the next class session.
Chemistry (Video Lecture)
In this online introduction to chemistry class, the professor planned to give a short video lecture on chemical and physical properties of matter. The professor believed that having students summarize information after hearing it would help them better understand and retain the material. The professor also wanted to ensure that the students were understanding the key points from the lecture, so he decided to use a 3-2-1 chart to collect information about their understanding.
The professor proceeded with the lecture, and at the end he announced that he had posted a prompt in the discussion forum. He asked students to post their responses there and to respond to each other's posts in two ways: (1) to acknowledge they learned similar things or found similar things interesting or (2) to respond to questions if they believed they knew the answers. Following is a sample response:
| 3 Three new things I learned from the lecture: |
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| 1 What matter is on earth |
2 What a chemical property is in relation to the earth |
3 What a physical property is in relation to the earth |
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| 2 Two things in the lecture I found particularly interesting: |
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| 1 That there is an intensive physical property |
2 That there is an extensive physical property |
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| 1 One thing from the lecture that I still have a question about: |
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| 1 Why is the formation of gas bubbles a chemical change? Is it the same with water bubbles? | |||
Variations and Extensions
- Use a 3-2-1 chart as a prompt to review the lecture from the previous class session.
- Create a content-specific 3-2-1. For example, in teaching grammar, you might ask for the following:
- Three ways to join two independent clauses
- Two ways to punctuate two independent clauses
- One way to rewrite two independent clauses so that you have a dependent clause followed by an independent clause
- Use the activity to help students identify main ideas and details from the lecture. For example, ask students to record three of the most important ideas from the lesson, to provide supporting detail for each idea, and to pose one question for each idea.
- Extend the activity by having students research answers to the questions they still have.
Observations and Advice
This technique is best used when the information is fairly foundational. More complex information can be difficult to summarize and can leave students feeling frustrated and constrained.
Students may have trouble completing the “one question” portion of the activity, particularly if they are new to the topic area. At times, they will be tempted to write “I have no questions.” You may want to walk around the room to ensure that students are responding to the questions. If you have novice students and are introducing a new topic, you may wish to have students work in pairs or small groups so that they can support each other as they seek to create questions.
Key References and Resources
- Alsamadani, H. A. (2011). The effects of the 3-2-1 reading strategy on EFL reading comprehension. English Language Teaching, 4(3), 184–191. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1080738.pdf
- Lipton, L., & Wellman, B. (1999). Pathways to understanding: Patterns and practices in the learning focused classroom. Guildford, VT: Pathways Publishing.
- Van Gyn, G. (2013). The little assignment with the big impact: Reading, writing, critical reflection, and meaningful discussion. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from www.facultyfocus.com/articles/instructional-design/the-little-assignment-with-the-big-impact-reading-writing-critical-reflection-and-meaningful-discussion/
- Zygouris-Coe, V., Wiggins, M. B., & Smith, L. H. (2004). Engaging students with text: The 3–2–1 strategy. The Reading Teacher, 58(4), 381–384.