Wait Time 2
As you might expect after learning about wait time 1, there is another type of wait time that's called wait time 2. It is the time period after the student's initial response and before the teacher's reaction.
Like wait time 1, research shows that the average length of wait time 2 is less than one second. However, the optimum length is, again, a minimum of three to five seconds. By increasing wait time 2, teachers give students an opportunity to elaborate on or complete their answer. This has a number of benefits, including a lead-in to great discussion.
For example, imagine you are a history teacher and have asked a student his opinion about which U.S. president was the best. He might respond with Abraham Lincoln. As soon as he finishes his response, you wait, nodding encouragingly, with all of your attention focused on him. He slowly elaborates and adds his reasoning, which leads to another student's agreement and further discussion on the topic. That discussion ends up involving most of the students in the class.
By simply waiting to see if there was more to the student's answer, you provided him with an opportunity to really think about the question and articulate a full response, which resulted in higher-order thinking for him and other students in the class as well.
Increasing wait time 2 is also beneficial in another way, as it gives the teacher additional time to think about whether the answer was correct, incorrect, or partially correct. It also gives him or her extra time to decide on the best response to the student.
Implementing Longer Wait Time
Although it seems fairly easy to increase wait time 1 and wait time 2 by simply waiting longer for a response, it's not as simple as it first appears. It can be very difficult for teachers to implement a longer wait time, especially when they have to get through a lot of material in a short amount of time. In most classes, discussion is fast-paced, and the students have little time to think. The teacher usually dominates the conversation and moves quickly from one point to the next.
A particularly interesting result of increasing both wait time 1 and wait time 2 is the decrease in the number of teacher questions and the number of student questions over the entire class period. The previously-mentioned research found that the higher-quality answers and discussion that occur from longer wait time increase understanding in the subject, thereby eliminating a significant number of follow-up questions from both teachers and students. So, although it might go against the teacher's intuition to spend the extra time waiting for an answer to a question, it actually makes the lesson more efficient and effective, which is certainly worth it.
Rote Memorization
Longer wait times are great for allowing students to really think about the material and formulate opinions and answers. However, shorter wait times can actually be useful in cases where complex thinking is not necessary. For example, when simple rote memorization is required, a short wait time is actually preferable. Rote memorization is memorizing through repetition. To learn something by rote is to memorize it without thought of the meaning.
A classic example of rote memorization is when students are required to memorize the multiplication tables. Teachers usually have the students practice over and over until they can recall the answer immediately after seeing the equation. Because there is only one right answer, there is little to be gained in increasing wait time and giving students, or teachers, more time to think.
Lesson Summary
In summary, when teachers ask their students questions during class discussions, wait time typically lasts for less than one second. However, it is generally best to increase both wait time 1 and wait time 2 to a minimum of three to five seconds. Increasing wait time 1, which is the pause between the teacher's question and the student's response, has several benefits. These include, but are not limited to: higher quality answers, an increase in student confidence, an increase in voluntary student responses, and an increase in productive discussion.
Increasing wait time 2, which is the pause between the student's initial response and the teacher's reaction, also has several benefits. These include, but are not limited to: more complete and well-thought out responses, as well as additional time for the teacher to think and determine the best response to the student.
The exception to the three to five second minimum rule of thumb is when the students are only required to perform simple recall tasks. One example of this is rote memorization, which is when students are required to memorize through repetition. There is only one right answer, and it doesn't matter if they understand the meaning. Therefore, increasing wait time isn't necessary.
