Yolanda U. Trapp
We are learning more about the importance of timing in lessons. Because today's students are accustomed to quick changes in their environmental stimuli, many find it difficult to concentrate on the same topic for long periods of time. This is particularly true if the teacher is doing most the work, like lecturing. Shorter learning episodes, therefore, are usually more effective than longer ones6. Twenty-minute lesson segments are likely to hold student interest, and result in more retention of learning. There is more remembering time in two 20- minute lessons than one 40-minute lesson. In block scheduling, and 80-minute lesson or period can be a blessing or a disaster, depending on how the time is used. Many teachers believe that a block containing four 20-minute segments will be more productive than one continuous lesson.
