Using Active Learning to Engage Students
Teaching & Learning Guide
Welcome to the Teaching & Learning Guide for Using Active Learning to Engage Students!
This guide includes best practices and tips designed to help you:
Explore the research on active learning and its effects on student engagement, motivation, and participation;
Choose active learning activities to include in your Canvas courses;
Select appropriate active learning teaching strategies;
Develop your own Active Learning Strategies Plan using the provided template;
Request support from your Instructional Design Partner and the Technology Service Desk.
Leveraging Active Learning to Boost Student Engagement
Active learning involves designing activities that engage students through participation and are constructed based on how people learn (Yale Center for Teaching and Learning, 2021). The objective is to ask students to fully participate in learning by thinking, discussing, investigating, and creating. Students participate in a variety of higher-level activities to construct new knowledge and build new skills by solving problems, addressing complex questions, proposing solutions, explaining ideas through writing or discussions, etc.
You may find it helpful to consider the active learning cycle, which effectively engages students in the process of learning in a way that solidifies new knowledge in their minds and helps them place new concepts in their long-term memory. The cycle is meant to pique student interest first, build on their foundational knowledge, introduce them to concepts via course materials, and then ask students to apply new knowledge.
Lundahl, A. (2021). Active Learning Cycle [Diagram].
Activating Student Motivation and Participation
Active learning strategies emphasize two key characteristics: motivation (cooperative and social learning through student autonomy) and participation (well-structured, sequenced activities that allow students to internalize information). These active learning strategies are designed to provide structure and assessment of learning goals, as well as support progression of the goals and expectations outlined in the course. The activities you include should work together to form a student engagement cycle that begins with motivation to learn and grow, participation that provides for active involvement, and progression in moving toward clear, relevant goals to support student autonomy (Jonassen et al., 2020).
Various active learning strategies can be implemented, including reciprocal or paired teaching activities focusing on collaborative problem solving and metacognitive strategies; and cooperative learning principles implemented through peer teaching and coaching; cooperative case studies; and problem-based learning. These active learning activities should create a supportive learning environment where students are free to ask questions, provide feedback, and support their peers in learning new material (Frisby & Martin, 2010).
Benefits of Active Learning for Instructors
Research shows that using active learning narrows the achievement gap for underrepresented students in undergraduate STEM courses (Theobald et al., 2020).
Benefits include:
enhanced critical thinking skills
increased retention and transfer of new information
increased motivation
improved interpersonal skills
decreased course failure. (Prince, 2004)
Active learning reinforces important material, concepts, and skills and provides more immediate and frequent feedback. Taking the time to implement active learning strategies in your course will improve student learning outcomes.
A sense of community is established when students influence the content, activities, materials, and pace of learning (Cornell University, 2021). Active learning places the student in the center of the learning process while you provide students with opportunities to learn independently and coach them in the skills they need to do so effectively. This approach includes techniques such as reciprocal questioning to encourage an open dialogue. Students are given question stems which provide a foundation for a response but require students to think critically about a topic, text, or another aspect of the course material before answering the question. For example, “Describe x in your own words. What does y mean? How could x be used to y?”
Correctly implemented active learning strategies can provide students with an increased motivation to learn, better retention of knowledge, deeper understanding, and more positive attitudes towards the subject being taught.
Selecting Active Learning Strategies
There is an abundance of active learning strategies you can select to incorporate into your Canvas courses, and the follow section will highlight a few of these strategies and provide tips for implementation.
You can select the strategies that most closely match the learning outcome you want to achieve for the module or class session. For example, to incorporate cooperative, community-building activities, you could consider concept maps, Venn diagrams, and jigsaw assignments. For well-structured, sequenced activities which encourage participation and allow students time to internalize information, consider the think/pair/share and minute paper options.
Concept Maps
A concept map asks students to display their knowledge on a given subject and to draw connections between ideas visually. It is an effective activity to build upon prior knowledge by adding new information through scaffolding (Caruana, 2012).
Click the image on the right to view a sample concept map.
Click for example concept map activity instructions
The instructions for a concept map assignment could look something like this:
Develop a central question that will serve as the focus for your concept map. The question will help you focus on relationships between the concepts, processes, or events included as nodes in the concept map.
List the major factors that you can identify to begin to answer the central question. Your objective is to articulate the major factors that contribute to finding an answer to this central question. These major factors form the first tier of nodes.
Now expand on each of these major factors in a cluster. Add detail in the form of secondary concepts (nodes) that contribute to the major factors or concepts you have already identified.
Continue to build your concept map with at least two more tiers or layers of nodes answering your central question. Your completed concept map should have a first layer that includes the major factors that directly affect concepts, processes, or events. Add at least two more layers, or tiers of nodes, in each of those clusters. You are free to include as many layers or tiers as needed.
Think of your concept map as a visual explanation. Imagine using your concept map to explain the influence of the identified major concepts to answer your central question. Your map should make the relationships clear. Use lines to indicate the relationship between nodes and include a word or short phrase to describe the relationship.
Include a document to accompany the concept map with the following information:
Include the central question you used as a starting point for the concept map.
Describe how and why you selected the concepts (nodes) included in your concept map.
Explain the overall logic in the organization of your concept map describing in more detail the relationship between concepts (nodes).
Provide a summary of how the concepts (nodes) that you included in the concept map answer the central question.
Venn Diagrams
Venn diagrams are another visual graphic organizer that are helpful in any context requiring a direct comparison of two or more categories or concepts. The final submissions from students could vary from an informative poster to a decision-making tool.
Click the image on the left to view a sample Venn diagram.
Click for example Venn diagram activity instructions
The instructions for a Venn diagram assignment could look something like this:
The first step to creating a Venn diagram is deciding what to compare. Place a descriptive title at the top of the page.
Create the diagram. Make a circle for each of the subjects. Every circle should overlap with at least one other circle.
Label each circle. Near or inside of each circle, place the title of the topic or item represented. Avoid writing the titles inside neighboring circles to maintain clarity. It may be helpful to distinguish the titles from other text by placing them in a box or altering their font or color.
Enter the differences. Inside each circle, place characteristics unique to that specific item or idea and are not true of any other topics.
Enter the similarities. If two or more subjects have a feature in common, place that features in the section in which all such shapes overlap.
If all the features of one circle are among additional features of another circle, the circle is contained within the second circle.
Jigsaw Assignments
A jigsaw assignment asks students to piece together knowledge by working with other students. Just as a jigsaw puzzle is a collection of various pieces that come together to make a complete picture, the jigsaw method of teaching is a collection of topics that students will develop separately before coming together as a group to assemble the complete concept. To be more specific, this type of cooperative learning strategy allows individuals or small groups to become responsible for a subcategory of a larger topic.
You could use a jigsaw activity to review your syllabus at the start of a semester. Prompting your students to engage with your syllabus in a meaningful, active way helps them understand and retain the information.
Consider these technologies to design your syllabus jigsaw activity:
Create a Google Docs Collaboration for each group using one page for each subcategory. Combine and summarize the results for students.
Create a Google Slides Collaboration for each group using one slide for each subcategory. Include additional notes and share the results with students.
Create a Canvas Discussion using one post for each subcategory and have students leave replies with comments and questions. Create a final post that summarizes the different discussions for students.
Click for tips on facilitating jigsaw activities
For small groups, assign group roles to provide some structure and opportunities that encourage all students to participate. Consider a moderator to facilitate and summarize discussions, a note-taker to take notes or fill in a study guide to capture the details discussed, and a speaker/presenter. After researching and developing their idea, each individual or small group is responsible for teaching it to the rest of the group or the entire class. There are different formats to create a jigsaw assignment:
Individual pieces: Assign each student or small group a subcategory to research. Each small group creates a Google Slide presentation that provides a more in-depth look at each subcategory. This format works best for virtual assignments.
Cooperative groups: The number of groups is based on the number of subcategories that fit into the overarching lesson; then, divide the number of students into groups accordingly. Each group would then be given a subcategory to research and develop cooperatively. As with the individual pieces approach, each group would then create a presentation and share it with the entire class.
Jigsaw within groups: Divide the lesson into subcategories. For this method, multiple small groups are assigned the same set of subcategories. These small groups research their subcategories. Then all small groups with the same topic (creating a larger group) meet to develop their understanding of the subcategory. The larger group makes a presentation and shares it with the entire class.
Think-Pair-Share Activities
A think/pair/share (or think/pair/share/write) assignment begins with the instructor developing the question prompt(s) that target critical content concepts based on assigned texts or research topics. The instructor then describes the purpose of the active learning activity and provides guidelines for discussions. Instructors should model the procedure to ensure that students understand how to use the strategy. Monitor and support students as they work.
T : (Think) Begin by asking a specific question about the text/topic. Students think about what they know or have learned about the subject. Allow students time and structure to think about the question or problem (optional:write down their thoughts).
P : (Pair) Each student should be paired with another student or added to a small group. The students work in pairs (or small groups) to answer the question or solve the problem.
S : (Share) Students share their ideas with the class in a whole-class discussion or small group presentations (optional: students pair up again to decide if their views have changed based on the whole class discussion or presentations) (Simon, 2021).
Click for tips on facilitating think/pair/share activities
Consider using a think/pair/share activity to review an assigned text. Provide students with a problem or question to consider. Instructors can move around the classroom or visit Zoom Breakout Rooms and listen to various discussions, gaining insight into each student's level of understanding. After the discussions, the students share their responses with the entire class.
Think/pair/share activities are traditionally done in face-to-face settings but can be designed to work in Zoom Breakout Rooms or as a Discussion prompt with a shared Google Doc or Jamboard. If you are using a Jamboard, each student adds a sticky note to the Jamboard with their insights of the assigned text. As sticky notes are submitted, the instructor can move the sticky notes around or change the colors to sort them into piles or categories.
Minute Papers
A minute paper (Angelo & Cross, 1993) asks students to answer a prompt in one to two minutes, as the name implies. This technique of asking students to answer one to three questions is a great tool to provide you with a snapshot of your students’ learning in your course. The minute papers serve as feedback and assessment, allowing for a short and simple format to gauge student learning and response. This is a formative tool that can improve teaching and learning by monitoring student comprehension, providing a glimpse into the strengths and weaknesses of your teaching methods, and modifying student learning experiences. Asking students to reflect on their learning using the minute paper can improve teacher-student collaboration and bridge gaps in understanding.
Example prompts include:
What was the most important thing you learned in this module?
What important question remains unanswered?
What suggestions do you have to improve this module?
It is crucial to summarize the information collected in the minute paper assignment and report back to the students. Depending on the minute paper results, several actions might be required. Consider responding to the unanswered questions and suggestions individually. For questions mentioned multiple times, provide an answer in your Q&A Discussion in your Canvas course. You could also summarize the minute paper results in class, a Zoom Meeting, a recorded presentation, or a combination of these options depending on what is appropriate. Let students know that you are listening to them and using their feedback to improve the course now or for future students.
Click for tips on facilitating minute papers
You can implement the minute paper as a Canvas assignment, a Google Doc template, a Canvas Survey, or a short answer Google Form. Using the minute paper throughout the semester allows you to address student concerns and continuously improve the course.
To incorporate the minute paper in your Canvas course:
Draft the one to three-minute paper prompts that are relevant to your course and students.
Have students complete the minute paper at the end of a topic or module.
As part of the assignment instructions, communicate to students how much time they have, the type of answers you desire (short sentences, words, or phrases), and when to expect feedback.
Review the minute paper submissions, plan a five- to ten-minute presentation or recording of your findings, and share or discuss the results with students.
Developing Your Active Learning Strategies Plan
Engaging Students: Active Learning and Motivation is included in the Strategies for Transformative Teaching Series of Workshops facilitated by the Center for Development, Design, & Delivery. These workshops will provide you with best practices and concrete strategies for common teaching tasks, challenges, and opportunities. The workshops draw on research-based best practices from the literature on teaching and learning to help you apply those practices in your courses.
You can work one-on-one with your Instructional Design Partner at any time during the semester to incorporate the strategies you are learning into your courses or for support with developing your courses in Canvas.
Engaging Students: Active Learning and Motivation Workshop Description
How can you engage students and help them maintain their motivation? You will learn current research and best practices on student engagement in addition to gaining practical tips that will help you incorporate active learning strategies as you assess and maintain student motivation throughout the semester.
References
Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Caruana, V. (2012). Scaffolding student learning: Tips for getting started. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/course-design-ideas/scaffolding-student-learning-tips-for-getting-started/
Cornell University. (2021). Active learning. Center for Teaching Innovation. https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/engaging-students/active-learning
Frisby, B. N., & Martin, M. M. (2010). Instructor-student and student-student rapport in the classroom. Communication Education, 59(2), 146-164. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03634520903564362
Jonassen, D. H., Howard, J. L., Marra, R. M., & Crismond, D. P. (2020). How does technology facilitate learning? Education.com. https://www.education.com/download-pdf/reference/22304/
Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223-231. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2004.tb00809.x
Simon, C. A. (2021). Using the think-pair-share technique. read write think. http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/using-think-pair-share-30626.html
Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., Agrawal, S., Arroyo, E. N., & Behling, S. (2020, Mar). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476-6483. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916903117
Yale Center for Teaching and Learning. (2021). Active Learning. Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/sites/default/files/basic-page-supplementary-materials-files/active_learning_handout.pdf
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