Multimedia Learning Resource Centre
Think-Pair-Share

• Prepare an appropriate question based on a particular topic you want to expound on.
• Ensure questions are
  1. open-ended;
  2. allow critical thinking and reasoning;
  3. draw students’ attention to key concept you want to highlight.

• Introduce to students what will generally happen during this think-pair-share activity.
• Ask the question.
• Think:
  • Allow students time to consider the question individually (recommended not more than 5 min depending on difficulty of question). Encourage students to take notes.
• Pair:
  • Ask students to discuss in pairs.  Provide sufficient time for discussion. Again, encourage students to take notes. Walk around the class to support discussion when necessary. A variation to this part is to ask a two-choice question and ask students to pair up with a partner who has a contrasting opinion.
• Share:
  • Ask students to share key points from discussion with the whole class – sharing similarities and differences in answers with their fellow partner in the group pair.

Note: If this activity is to be done during online small tutorials, students should be separated into smaller groups of 2-3 students using Zoom Breakout Rooms for the ‘Pair’ part of the activity.

• Comment on students’ answer. Clarify misconceptions.
• Emphasise take-home message.