Make sure that the active learning activity you select helps students progress towards your learning outcomes.
Check for student understanding of key concepts and issues using classroom assessment techniques (Angelo & Cross, 1995), such as a 1-Minute Paper.
Students will perform better if they need to produce something as part of active learning and are accountable for their work (for example, ask students to hand in a solution to a problem, submit three questions about a topic for the exam, create a model for X and draw it, share examples they discussed in their group, or post their group solution online).