Think-Pair-Share

In a Think-Pair-Share (TPS) activity, participants consider their response to a question, then take turns sharing their ideas with a partner. (If you have an odd number of participants you can create a trio for the activity.) Depending on the prompt, the partner teams either come to a consensus or discuss their different perspectives. You can walk around listening in on the discussions, and at the end of the activity can call on representative partners to share their thoughts with the class.

TPS is a fast way to get all participants engaged with the content. You can plan to use the activity to break up a lecture or insert it into the lesson plan on the fly if you find that the same participants are responding to whole group questions. For most participants, talking with a familiar table mate is less anxiety producing than addressing the whole class. And even the least motivated participant is likely to respond when they have a partner waiting expectantly for their answer.

TPS is flexible. It works with all kinds and levels of questions. Allow more time for discussion on more thought-provoking questions and less time for recall questions.

Instructions

How to incorporate a Think-Pair-Share activity:

  1. Identify the learning outcome or difficult concept you want to address.
  2. Write a question to elicit the information from participants. For application outcomes, use an open-ended question to stimulate a discussion. For recall outcomes, use a closed-ended question to elicit facts.
  3. Explain the steps to the activity (listen, think, take turns sharing ideas, and prepare a joint response in the case you team is called on for a report).
  4. Identify the partner groups and their roles: Partner A and Partner B.
  5. State the time limits for thinking and sharing.
  6. Share the prompt verbally and/or on screen.
  7. At the midpoint in the sharing part of the activity, announce that it is Partner B’s turn.
  8. Circulate around the room to listen in to the discussions.
  9. At the end of the sharing part, ask selected teams to share their report.

Instructor-Led Training

If you add a short writing component, the activity is called Think-Write-Pair-Share. Provide participants with note cards or large sticky notes to jot down their ideas before they share their writing with their partners. For more information on short writing activities, refer to Quick Writes/Entrance Tickets.

Web Conference Training

Think-Pair-Share can also be done in a web conference course using partners in small groups and/or breakout rooms.