The case for active learning 

Active learning asks students to do philosophy rather than only listen to a sage on the stage talking about philosophy. 

During an active learning class, everyone participates. Students are moving around the room, making visual maps of arguments, debating each other, performing, and creating things. 

Active learning in philosophy makes it clear that philosophical reasoning is a fun and exciting skill and that philosophical questions are high-stakes and relevant to their everyday lives. 

Philosophy requires reasoning skills, such as forming a clear cliam/thesis, giving reasons, identifying assumptions, responding to objections, and articulating ideas clearly in person and on the page.

These skills improve through practice.

Active learning gives students repeated opportunities to practice their reasoning skills while also giving instructors better information about what students actually understand.

It's also a great way to get to know your students and it makes class more fun for everyone. 

Start with activities that directly serve a philosophical purpose. 

Classic active learning tactics that work in any context include think-pair-share, argument mapping, brief debates, peer review, case studies, and full participation polling. Active learning can start with only a few minutes of class time. 

The most important things for active learning are that the activity a) makes students practice the kind of thinking you want them to learn and b) makes the classroom experience fun and memorable. 

Some instructors are afraid to incorporate active learning into their classrooms because they are afraid of losing control over the learning environment. But active learning does not require surrendering control of the classroom. The instructor still sets the task, time limits, rules, and endpoint. If anything, active learning classrooms are more controled because students cannot use their phones or laptops to disengage from the learning experience. Everyone is required to stay on task for the duration of the activity. 

The biggest risk is that an activity will run longer than expected. To address this risk, plan your class in 10-15 minute blocks and make sure that the last block of the class can be cut if the earlier activities take too long. 

In some cases, students may misunderstand the instructions and the activity will not achieve the learning outcome. Or, discussion may wander and students will refuse to stay on task. To reduce this risk, walk around the classroom throughout all active learning activities to make sure that everyone understands the assignment and is staying on task. 

Not every exercise is a winner. Sometimes a really great idea falls flat with one class but it's a hit with everyone else. Sometimes a student will say something offesive, become emotional, or take issue with an aspect of the assignment. If this happens, debreif with the class to discuss what happened, clarify the point of the activity, and then just move on! The students will still appreciate that you are trying to make class fun and engaging, even if it doesn't always work out perfectly.