Bartek Ewertowski describes a 5-minute teaching technique, inspired by ancient Sparta’s shouting elections, that gets everyone involved.
Struggling to energise participation during live, in-class quizzes?
Quieter students often stay disengaged when answering spoken questions in large lectures. Low engagement in oral activities can drain class energy and make it harder to assess understanding effectively.
Try this!
Turn your multiple-choice questions into a lively group activity inspired by ancient Sparta’s ‘shouting elections.’ This dynamic approach encourages universal participation, builds community, and provides quick knowledge checks—all without relying on technology.
Addresses these teaching challenges:
- Low participation in oral quizzes
- Engaging quieter students
- Building class community
- Quick knowledge checks without technology
- Maintaining energy during lectures
Image: Canva generative AI
Implementation
- Form groups of 3 – 4 students.
- Present a multiple-choice question.
- Give teams 1 – 2 minutes to discuss.
- Count down: “3, 2, 1…”
- Teams shout their answers together!
Pro tips
- Use simple answer labels (ABC, 123, Yes/No).
- Include one “trick” question to spark discussion.
- Keep questions accessible to build confidence.
- Look away when collecting answers (for <50 students).
- Follow up on interesting wrong answers.
- Try including an ambiguous Yes/No question to generate debate.
Benefits
- Universal participation
- Builds class community
- Promotes active learning
- Enables quick knowledge checks
- Shows student confidence levels (through volume!)
- Creates a fun, low-stakes environment
- Bonus: Stress relief through shouting!
Teacher’s voice
“The volume tends to correlate with students’ confidence in their answer, and I’ve noticed students are more likely to participate in follow-up discussions. Plus, they genuinely seem to enjoy it!” – Bartek
Try this variation
Add a ‘confidence level’ to the shout – whisper for uncertain answers, regular voice for somewhat sure, loud for very confident. This adds another layer of metacognitive awareness.
Accessibility considerations
Consider the needs of neurodiverse students who might find loud group activities unsettling. Collect feedback and encourage students to share any concerns anonymously. Use your best judgement with this activity.
Have a teaching tip to share? Add it to our jar today. Email: teachwell@auckland.ac.nz
Faculty: Science
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Shared by
Bartek Ewertowski
Professional Teaching Fellow
Faculty of Science