Active Learning
What is Active Learning?
There are 4 basic activities in an active learning environment:
Talking and Listening
Writing
Reading
Reflection.
These activities are used both in the classroom and out of the classroom to encourage students to be engaged in the learning process and think critically about what they are learning.
Unlike in large traditional classrooms, active learning classrooms allow students to get more individualized attention from TAs by dividing the class into small groups. This allows students to work together to learn the material and for the TAs to focus their time on answering questions that all of the students are struggling with.
What is Backward Design?
There are three main steps in backward design.
Begin the design process by identifying the desired results. While doing so, think of the big ideas and skills you would like the students to learn. This step helps instructors create learning objectives that can be assessed to determine the students’ level of understanding.
Next, determine the acceptable assessment by creating a assignment or activity to assess understanding of the idea or skill. This task could be a quiz, project, class activity, etc. This step helps instructors create assessments that effectively evaluate those learning objectives.
Lastly, plan the learning experiences and instruction by creating the materials the students will use to learn the skill or idea. This step helps instructors create content and activities for students to complete the assessments and meet the learning objectives.
Using this process, both the assessment materials and the lecture materials will be designed specifically with teaching and assessing the learning goal in mind to ensure the materials are sufficient for effective instruction and assessment.
Role of TA in an Active Learning Classroom
TAs help manage the classroom, answer student questions, grade assignments, and act as another resource to students.
Active Learning Methods and Tools
Active Learning classrooms use a variety of methods and tools, to help students learn effectively by engaging with the content.
Class Material Design
Backward design can help instructors design course material for both active learning and traditional courses.
References
Costa, B. (2021, January 27). Active learning. Retrieved March 15, 2021, from https://cetl.uconn.edu/resources/design-your-course/teaching-and-learning-techniques/active-learning/#
Gopalakrishnan, S. (2020). Chapter 8. Facilitating Active Learning: Peer Learning and Engagement. In CCI Collected Wisdom: Handbook for TAs. Charlotte, NC: University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Retrieved 2021, from https://uncc.instructure.com/courses/144976/files/11599836?wrap=1.
Hah, H. (2020). Chapter 7: Facilitating Teams. In CCI Collected Wisdom: Handbook for TAs. Charlotte, NC: University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Retrieved 2021, from https://uncc.instructure.com/courses/144976/files/11599834?wrap=1.
Keith-Le, J. A., & Morgan, M. P. (2020). Faculty experiences in active learning: A collection of strategies for implementing active learning across disciplines. Charlotte, NC: J. Murrey Atkins Library.
Poole, B. (2020). Chapter 10: Facilitating Labs Sessions. In CCI Collected Wisdom: Handbook for TAs. Charlotte, NC: University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Retrieved 2021, from https://uncc.instructure.com/courses/144976/files/11599828?wrap=1.
Safat Siddiqui, S. (2020). Chapter 12. Preparing course materials: Backward design, engaging content, knowledge vs skills. In CCI Collected Wisdom: Handbook for TAs. Charlotte, NC: University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Retrieved 2021, from https://uncc.instructure.com/courses/144976/files/11599830?wrap=1.
What is backward design? (2019, July 18). Retrieved March 15, 2021, from https://slcconline.helpdocs.com/course/what-is-backward-design