How do I know which active learning activities are appropriate for my class

Try out a variety of learning activities to see which one works best for your students. Ask the class which activities they have used in the past, and which ones helped them learn most.

When you are introducing challenging new content, use an active learning activity that is already familiar to students. If you increase the challenge of content and process at the same time, the cognitive load will be too high for students and they will not be able to engage with the material in a meaningful way. Introduce a new type of activity when the content is not very challenging.

Ask for feedback from your students frequently using a “Stop-Start-Continue” activity – using an anonymous survey or index cards, ask them to list what you should (1) start doing, (2) stop doing, and (3) continue doing in the class to help them learn. Students will let you know if you have overused an activity.

If you use games such as Jeopardy or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in class (you can find downloadable templates online), make sure your students are familiar with the rules of the game. International students, for example, are often unfamiliar with Jeopardy rules, but can participate if they are part of a team.