This can be a simple add-on in any lecture or tutorial. Give clear, time-boxed instructions. Intervene if discussions drift off-task, keeping a supportive tone that normalises partial understanding and questions.

Why it works

Listening or solving problems individually is a first step; being able to reconstruct and explain the reasoning to someone else requires deeper mastery. This activity helps students repeat, notice what they do and do not yet understand, and to articulate their thinking steps and choices. The aim is to stimulate metacognition by having students verbalise and test their understanding with a peer.

Five step plan

Select key topic: Choose a concept, worked example or assignment that is essential for the course and/or commonly causes difficulty. Keep each chosen topic small enough to explain in a few minutes.
Give short input: Briefly present or demonstrate the topic (e.g., part of a proof, code fragment, calculation, model or structure), or let students first study the assignment individually in a tutorial.
Set up pair explanations: Ask students to turn to their neighbour and explain the topic, worked step(s) or solution in their own words within a fixed time (e.g. 2-3 minutes). You can give the students 1-2 minutes to first think for themselves how they want to explain it. Instruct the listening student to ask clarifying questions and help where needed.
Rotate roles and topics: Repeat the cycle for at least two or three different topics or assignments in the session so students alternate between explaining and listening. Vary who starts explaining to ensure everyone gets a turn.
Debrief and address gaps: After a cycle, ask the class what parts were hardest to explain and which questions arose. Collect a few examples and clarify misconceptions or tricky steps plenary before moving on.

Assessment

None.

Suggested room set-up

Any. Do get students to sit together, not (too)dispersed.

Tips & tricks

Signal clearly when the explanation time starts and ends (e.g., with a slide, timer or verbal countdown) to keep energy and focus.
Start with a simple example the first time you use this format so students learn the routine without being overloaded.
Circulate while they talk to pick up common issues and to gently refocus off-topic pairs.
Occasionally model a concise explanation yourself, then have students repeat the structure with a new topic.
In larger groups, ask a few pairs to briefly share how they explained a tricky step.

Requirements

Pre-selected topics, examples or assignments suitable for brief explanations.
Planned short time slots in the lecture or tutorial.

Key advice

Decide in advance which specific reasoning steps or sub-steps you want students to be able to explain, and design the neighbour explanations around those points.