What do I do if my students don’t want to do active learning activities?

Most students are used to passive learning (i.e. sitting in a classroom and having information “wash over” them). Since active learning is more work, some students may say that they don’t like it, or that the instructor is not “teaching them.”

Students may also be reluctant to participate in active learning because they do not know what they should “get out of active learning.” They may feel like active learning is a “waste of time” because what is discussed may not be on the exam.

You can inoculate the class against these reactions by:

• modelling active learning from the first class
• articulating what students will gain from active and collaborative learning (e.g. interpersonal communication, conflict management and group interaction skills)
• providing a clear summary at the end of the class in which you highlight the main takeaway messages from the activity, connect it to what comes next, and emphasize how students can use what they learned in the session (including how it will be used in papers, exams, or other assignments)
• getting on-going feedback from students regarding their experience with active learning
• addressing some of their concerns as the course progresses

Students are also encouraged to participate when they are responsible for some output. Before an activity, assign students roles to encourage participation and meaningful engagement (e.g. during group work, have one person record what is discussed and another person share it with the class).